13 June 2023 , 12:28
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New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has admitted he would enjoy playing alongside DeAndre Hopkins despite Bill Belichick’s recent comments.
Hopkins is searching for a new team after being released by the Arizona Cardinals last month. After trying to negotiate a trade, the Cardinals decided to release the wide receiver as an unrestricted free agent.
As a result, a number of teams are likely to be interested in signing Hopkins this offseason. It was reported by last week that Hopkins is set to visit the Patriots, which would come after first visiting the Tennessee Titans.
Belichick was asked about the possibility of signing Hopkins when he spoke to reporters on Monday. However, the Patriots head coach refused to be drawn on speculation over whether or not a deal could be completed to bring Hopkins to Foxborough.
"We're working through it, so I don't really have anything to add to that," Belichick told . "I think it relates more to logistics and things like that.
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“So, I'm not really a travel agent here. I'm not going to say it's going to happen here, or not going to happen or whatever.
"There's a lot of other stuff going on that I'm not directly involved in, and so I'm not going to say anything and then you turn around and say I misled you in some way because that's not what I'm going to do."
Belichick later added: "I'm not going to talk about players that aren't on the team."
DeAndre Hopkins was released by the Arizona Cardinals last month and is now a free agent (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)Jones, though, was allowing himself to dream at the prospect of having five-time Pro Bowler Hopkins - who took to social media earlier in the midweek to signpost his arrival in Tennessee - on the team for next season. The Patriots quarterback went on to say that the current group of players in the team’s offense is progressing well during the early weeks of the offseason.
"Yeah, I think that's definitely a hypothetical, but I think DeAndre's a great player," said Jones. "I mean, you watch his film from college all the way through the NFL, he's done a great job.
“Obviously, we'd love to have him, but we do have a great group of guys, and we just know that we want to win, and I know that all the guys feel the same way. But I've been really pleased with all the playmakers we have on our team.
"We've come out here and really bought into the system, and that'll really show in training camp and preseason.
“Sometimes it's hard to show that out here, but I've been really pleased with the tight ends, running backs and all the receivers, the young guys, the old guys, like D.P. (DeVante Parker) and everybody.
“So we have a good group and definitely feel like we just need to keep growing together, and whoever's in that room, we're gonna try and dominate together."