The New England Patriots seemed to be in pole position to land DeAndre Hopkins this summer, but the wide receiver eventually chose the Tennessee Titans for the 2023 NFL season.
D-Hop had been on the market for months, since the Arizona Cardinals were willing to shop him before he became a free agent. But even when he was released, the Patriots didn’t do enough to get him.
Missing out on this opportunity was seen as a huge failure by Bill Belichick, as a player of Hopkins’ caliber could’ve been helpful for Mac Jones in his third year. However, it looks like the wideout felt he had a better chance to succeed in Tennessee.
Rumor: DeAndre Hopkins believes he can succeed in Tennessee
“All he wanted was for a place where he could go win,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport said, via NESN. “And the fact that he chose Tennessee — and it was essentially New England or Tennessee; the two places that at least he visited.
“The fact that he chose Tennessee, and they were willing to pay him a salary that was I think more than commensurate with his abilities, where he is, is telling to me because he thinks the Titans are going to be good. They drafted a quarterback in Will Levis, obviously. Some people view this as sort of a team in transition. He views this as a team that can win. And that stands out to me.”
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Other factors that may have influenced Hopkins’ decision was the lucrative deal the Titans offered him, or his relationship with head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly. Either way, the Patriots will have to figure out how to bounce back from a disappointing year without D-Hop.
