Free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins believes he could continue playing in the NFL for another six seasons.
Hopkins, 31, has been without a team since being released by the Arizona Cardinals in late May and is considered the top receiver available on the open market. The weeks since have seen the five-time Pro Bowler attend visits with the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans.
After seven years with the Houston Texans - the team that he was selected by in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Hopkins spent three seasons with the Cardinals. The team cut him this offseason as they seek to overhaul their roster.
With training camp looming at the end of July, Hopkins is particularly active on social media in the hope of securing a new home. The veteran has even ventured onto new social media Threads to continue pitching to potential employers.
"I'll retire from football when I'm not a 1k-yard receiver," Hopkins wrote. "With that said, I was on pace for 1,400 yards last year -- one significant injury in 11 years. I might be playing till I'm 37 the way I feel."
Hamstring and knee injuries, plus a six-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drugs policy, have limited Hopkins to a combined 19 games and 1,289 receiving yards in the past two seasons. However, the previous eight seasons saw him hit the 1,000 mark six times, including four straight years between 2017 and 2020.
If those numbers return after relocating this summer, and Hopkins continues playing for another half-a-dozen, he would join an historic club. Only 16 receivers have previously played 16 seasons in the NFL.
In the meantime, he continues to pitch for a place on a training camp roster for the coming season. Wide receivers across the league are aware of the impact Hopkins will bring.
"Whoever’s in my future wide receiver group, I promise I will make your job easy," he tweeted last month. The statement of intent should be welcome for Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker, who signed a three-year, $33 million (£25.95m) with the team late last month.
Parker's lower initial base salary for the coming season appears to leave cap season available to sign another receiver into. Hopkins should seek at least the $15 million (£11.8m) per season that the Baltimore Ravens are paying Odell Beckham Jr.
While interest in him is said to exist from the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs, Pats QB Mac Jones has spoken publicly about the franchise adding Hopkins.
"I think DeAndre's a great player. I mean, you watch his film from college all the way through the NFL," Jones said on media day.
"He's done a great job. So 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."
