DeAndre Hopkins leaves Titans and Patriots visits without an offer
NASHVILLE — Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is in no rush on his 2023 free agent tour. The veteran, recently released by the Arizona Cardinals, has taken visits with the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots in the last week. Hopkins left both Nashville and Foxborough without contract offers. The idea of either club letting […]
NASHVILLE — Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is in no rush on his 2023 free agent tour. The veteran, recently released by the Arizona Cardinals, has taken visits with the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots in the last week.
Hopkins left both Nashville and Foxborough without contract offers.
The idea of either club letting a player of Hopkins' caliber leave their respective buildings seems like madness. Both Tennessee and New England have fairly dire needs when it comes to offensive weaponry, and one of the best receivers in the modern-day NFL has all but fallen into their laps. Make it make sense.
The answer, dear friends, to all of your questions is "money."
Hopkins "has not been in a rush to sign with a team and has considered waiting until closer to training camp in late July to make a move," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. While the Titans and Patriots might have been the first two teams to have Hopkins in, it is highly unlikely that they will be the only ones with legitimate interest in the former Cardinals' services. Hopkins would never have made it out of the door without a deal if this was a normal free agency cycle.
Having a player like this available in mid-June, however, is almost unheard of.
The most likely scenario for any hesitancy around a Hopkins offer is to avoid being leveraged unnecessarily. It benefits neither Tennessee nor New England to be the first ones to put a contract out only to have Hopkins' representation turn around and use it to get a better deal from another team. There will be a time when clubs interested in Hopkins will submit their terms for him to choose his 2023 playing destination.
One could hardly blame the Titans or the Patriots for not wanting to help Hopkins create any additional market value by bidding against themselves.
Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports.
