Three-time All-Professional wideout DeAndre Hopkins has chosen his new NFL team. Hopkins has agreed to signal a cope with the Tennessee Titans after visiting the membership earlier this offseason. That reports CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. It is going to be a $26 million two-year deal, price as much as $32 million with incentives, according to NFL Media. The deal is anticipated to shut early subsequent week.
The Titans every thing taken out for the free agent throughout their June 11 go to, even internet hosting him in a collection at Nissan Stadium for CMA Fest. Hopkins additionally visited Invoice Belichick and the New England Patriots, however finally leads to Music Metropolis.
Hopkins laundry issued by the Arizona Cardinals in Could after the workforce failed to seek out him a buying and selling accomplice. His contract with Arizona was one of many richest for any huge receiver, which actually affected commerce talks. Final yr, Hopkins averaged 7.1 catches per sport (fourth in NFL) and 79.7 receiving yards per sport (tenth in NFL) regardless of taking part in in simply 9 video games.
Hopkins has the eighth most receiving yards throughout a participant’s first 10 seasons in NFL historical past (11,298) and the fourth most receiving (853). Nonetheless, the 31-year-old has missed 15 of a attainable 34 common season video games over the previous two years as a consequence of a hamstring harm, torn MCL and suspension.
As for why Hopkins selected the Titans, one might level to the familiarity he has with some members of the teaching employees. Hopkins and Mike Vrabel teamed for 4 seasons with the Houston Texans, when Vrabel was a defensive assistant.
“I interacted with him loads,” Hopkins stated told the Titans’ official website about Vrabel in 2018. “He is a type of guys you may discuss to off the pitch, not nearly soccer, but additionally about private issues. Vrabel was good to me. It wasn’t only a soccer relationship with him, it was a private relationship Boys might relate to him.
“He is a fantastic man. Not solely is he a superb coach, however he is a superb man. He empathizes together with his gamers. The Titans are fortunate to have him.”
Hopkins additionally labored with new Titans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, who served because the Texans offensive assistant for eight seasons, together with three seasons as offensive coordinator from 2019–21. Of their solely season with Kelly as OC, Hopkins caught 104 passes for 1,165 yards and 7 touchdowns.
For the Titans, the Hopkins addition provides one of many worst huge receiving corps on paper a real alpha. Having Hopkins alongside in fact helps Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, the budding Treylon Burks and coach Kelly. Tennessee’s scoring offense fell from No. 15 within the NFL to No. 28 final yr, and the lack of huge receiver AJ Brown actually had one thing to do with that. In 2022, the Titans had what was statistically the third worst offense within the league (296.8 yards complete offense per sport) and third worst passing offense (171.4 passing yards per sport).
SportsLine stats guru Stephen Oh broke down the influence Hopkins is anticipated to have in Tennessee because the Titans’ playoff odds rise about 6.5%.
| For | 7.9 | 46.5% | 20.9% | 31.2% | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| with De Andre Hopkins | 8.3 | 48.8% | 25.8% | 37.7% | 1.9% | 0.7% |
| Distinction | 0.4 | 2.4% | 4.9% | 6.5% | 0.7% | 0.3% |
It is no secret that the Titans have been damage by chasing older wideouts (Randy Moss, Julio Jones, Robert Woods), however Hopkins can nonetheless be a real No. 1 huge receiver. After inflicting so many issues for Tennessee’s protection over the course of his profession, the Titans hope Hopkins can do the identical for them.
