The courtship of DeAndre Hopkins is a hot-button issue in a lot of NFL cities right now, Detroit included. As soon as the Arizona Cardinals released the 3-time All-Pro, interest piqued in Lions land — among many places — in signing Hopkins.
The Lions have not said anything publicly about potentially trying to sign Hopkins. However, it doesn’t seem like the team would be all that interested in the mercurial wideout based on his history and the team culture head coach Dan Campbell is building in Detroit.
Albert Breer of SI pulled some interesting quotes from a few anonymous NFL execs regarding Hopkins, who turns 31 in June. Breer quoted one exec who noted Hopkins “can’t run anymore.”
Hopkins has never been a wideout who wins with speed, but there did appear to be a decline in his burst and wiggle in routes during his final season in Arizona.
It’s another quote that figures to ring the alarm bells for the Lions.
“Still great hands, he is not going to separate, not much of a deep threat, but very strong, and makes contested catches as well as anyone in the NFL,” the AFC exec said. “Does not love to practice—I can’t imagine that’ll get any better. And when things don’t go well, you’re always gonna be leery, All right, what kind of drama are we gonna get from this guy? When things are great, he’s great. When things go south, his true colors show a little bit.
Having covered Hopkins during his Texans prime, I know these are not new developments. He didn’t practice more than once a week in his final two years in Houston (2018-2019) and wasn’t noted for his strong work ethic, not even at his All-Pro best. Chemistry with a new quarterback can be difficult. Building chemistry and trust with a new coaching staff and culture isn’t a given either; it’s part of why the Texans dispatched arguably the best wideout in the game at the time to Arizona for pennies on the dollar back in 2020.
That’s not exactly the type of presence the Lions figure to want around impressionable young wideout Jameson Williams. Hopkins thrived in Houston while playing with a similar talent to Williams in speedy Will Fuller, so it’s easy to understand the appeal.
I’ve seen Hopkins make spectacular catches in key moments, things that can help the Lions win right away. For my money, there still isn’t a better receiver in the NFL at catching off-target passes, and Hopkins remains a red zone beast and great downfield blocker. Alas, I don’t expect this Lions regime to seriously pursue Hopkins because he’s an expensive, risky culture fit.
But I am willing to be proven wrong…
