It is hard to get Patriots coach Bill Belichick excited, but every so often he’ll reveal himself to be a huge fan of certain star players around the league. Among them is a standout from this week’s Pats opponent, the Cardinals: wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Belichick made it clear that he thinks the world of the five-time All-Pro. On Wednesday, Hopkins returned the praise on Twitter.
“He’s got tremendous ball skills,” Belichick said of Hopkins on Tuesday, per MassLive. “He catches everything. Has great hands. He’s long so he’s never covered, even if he’s covered there’s a place where the ball can be that he can get it and still make the catch. Great coordination on the sidelines. And he doesn’t really look it, but he’s a strong kid. You see him break tackles. He’s a strong kid in terms of creating separation on routes, yards after contact, tough yards like around the goal line or that extra yard for a first down type of thing.
“He’s a smart football player. Very savvy. I’d say his ball skills are at the very elite level of guys that I’ve seen in this league. He’s up there with whoever the top guys are. The Cris Carters of the world. Guys like that. I think he’s every bit as good as anybody I’ve ever coached against.”
After seeing Belichick’s praise, Hopkins had a quick message for the legendary New England coach: “Respect.”
Hopkins and the Cardinals host Belichick’s Patriots on Monday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET.
