Mayhem has ensued in the NFL world following the news that DeAndre Hopkins is officially a free agent. After months of trade rumors, the Arizona Cardinals released the star wide receiver Friday, leaving contenders and their rabid fan bases salivating over all of the future possibilities.

His hefty contract clearly stalled talks, so Arizona was forced to opt for the simplest and thriftiest option. The availability of one of the best offensive talents of the last decade is a game-changer for the league and odds makers. Hopkins remains elite even at the age of 30 and will now have the opportunity to thrive in an ultra competitive environment for really the first time in his career. That fact is not lost on anyone, as fans immediately went into speculation overdrive.

Kansas City Chiefs fans sprinted to Twitter to celebrate the news and manifest Hopkins' arrival to the reigning Super Bowl champions. “Time for the rumors to increase,” Chiefs Focus tweeted. The idea of Patrick Mahomes having another future Hall of Fame target would drive fans and his peers straight to the cardiologist's office.

Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert are the five quarterbacks Hopkins said he would want to play with in an interview earlier this week. Still, Barstool Sports could not forget the heaping pile of praise the five-time All-Pro has given New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in the past. The Genius would have to make a heck of a pitch, though, for Hopkins to willingly join another murky offensive situation.

While most of the NFL is likely to reach out to Hopkins to some degree, only few have the roster and necessary financial resources to complete one of the the biggest free agent signings in recent history. The Cardinals have officially and abruptly jump-started the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes.