09 June 2023 , 14:10
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NFL star DeAndre Hopkins is set for a visit to the New England Patriots, despite initially not seeming too keen on playing with Mac Jones.
The 31-year-old is currently a free agent after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals last month. Last season Hopkins appeared in nine games and finished with 64 receptions for 717 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
It was a risk by the Cardinals, but parting with Hopkins gives them an extra $26.67million cap space. The player is reportedly keen to be offered a deal just like the one that Odell Beckham Jr was offered by the Baltimore Ravens, who acquired him on a one-year $15m deal guaranteed with an additional $3m in incentives.
Those terms knock many NFL teams out of the running for his signature, but the wide receiver is exploring his options and recently conducted a visit to the Tennessee Titans. But according to an NFL National insider, Hopkins is likely to pay a trip to the home of the six-time Super Bowl winners.
Should Bill Belichick and co acquire the services of the three-time First-team All-Pro player, he would prove a top pass-catcher for the franchises’ quarterback Jones. The quarterback threw for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, and left some within the organisation frustrated after he sought help outside of the team.
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His numbers decreased from his rookie season, where he registered 22 touchdowns and 3,801 yards, along with a trip to the postseason. Zappe meanwhile, the Patriots’ backup to Jones, finished last season completing 65 of 92 passes (70.7%) for 781 yards, five TDs, and three picks, while also rushing for 40 yards in his four appearances, two of which were starts.
Despite the possibility of playing for the Patriots, neither Jones nor Zappe was on Hopkins’ list of quarterbacks he’d most liked to play with. "That's a good question," Hopkins said when the question during a podcast appearance. "I would have to say one of my favorite quarterbacks I've been watching since he came in the league is Josh Allen. He reminds me of a new-school Andrew Luck."
The wide receiver is exploring his options since being released by the Arizona Cardinals last month (Bart Young/AP/REX/Shutterstock)Along with Allen, he mentioned Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson, along with LA Chargers star Justin Herbert. Furthermore, should Hopkins move to New England, it would mean a reunion with Bill O’Brien, the current Patriots' offensive coordinator.
He was the coach and General Manager of the Houston Texans towards the end of Hopkins’ stint with the franchise. During that period there were reports of tension between the two men before Hopkins left the team in 2020.
After Hopkins was traded to the Cardinals, he claimed there was no relationship between him and O’Brien. "There was no relationship,” Hopkins said. “Make sure you put that in there. There’s not a lot to speak about.”