A month after being released by the Arizona Cardinals, DeAndre Hopkins remains on the free agent market. The 31-year-old wide receiver has met with the New England Patriots and the Tennessee Titans and reportedly received contract offers from both teams, but those might not be the only clubs interested in Hopkins. Appearing on ESPN Radio Tuesday morning, Sal Paolantonio indicated that the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers are still in on Hopkins.

DeAndre Hopkins Linked to Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers

The Patriots appear to be the favorite for Hopkins, as Paolantonio believes the veteran pass catcher will ultimately end up in New England.

“There’s mutual interest,” Paolantonio said. “Bill likes him — Bill Belichick likes his game. And DeAndre Hopkins likes the situation in New England, knows Bill O’Brien. It’s a perfect fit at a time when they need a wide receiver that can get separation. They need somebody like that.

“But you have to remember, I’m talking to Keyshawn Johnson here, and he knows it, when you go to New England, you’re going to the Navy Seals. You’re going to a different kind of culture. DeAndre Hopkins has to understand that when he goes there, he’s going to have to fit in. They’re going to make sure that he fits in, but he’s going to have to fit in there with what they do.”

The Patriots signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year deal this offseason, but he hasn’t participated in offseason work as he recovers from the knee injury that bothered him during the second half of last year. New England lost Jakobi Meyers in free agency, leaving them with Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, and Tyquan Thornton behind Smith-Schuster.

“Carolina’s lurking. Cleveland is lurking for sure,” Paolantonio said. “But if I’m DeAndre Hopkins, do I want to go to Carolina with a rookie (quarterback)? Do I want to go to Cleveland? Or do I want to go to New England, where I can be coached by Bill Belichick?”

The Browns have made a concerted effort to augment their receiving corps over the past several months. Cleveland acquired Elijah Moore from the Jets in a pick swap before the draft, then used a third-round selection on Tennessee wideout Cedric Tillman.

Hopkins is reportedly open to playing for the Browns and reuniting with Deshaun Watson. In the two full seasons (2018-19) with Watson as his quarterback in Houston, Hopkins averaged a 110-1,369-9 line. But for what it’s worth, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested on Monday that Cleveland is comfortable with its receiver depth chart and is unlikely to pursue Hopkins “barring some sort of material change.”

Meanwhile, the Panthers used the offseason to build up their No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. Carolina added Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, and tight end Hayden Hurst in free agency before spending a second-round pick on Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo.

The Panthers have more than $26 million in available cap space, the third-most in the NFL. Hopkins is unlikely to earn the $19 million he was scheduled to collect from the Cardinals, but Carolina wouldn’t have any trouble fitting Hopkins onto their books on a one-year deal in the $10-12 million range.