When we last left off with free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, it was a two-team race for his services, with the veteran wideout mulling over offers from the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots.
While nothing has changed on that front, as least as far as we know, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler did provide the latest details on the Hopkins situation, noting that both teams have “major interest” in the 31-year-old.
He also says there’s “some mutual interest and respect between the Patriots and Hopkins, that something could go down” but also revealed the two sides couldn’t get something hammered out contract-wise during his visit there.
“There’s a lull in action right now. Training camp’s not for a month, not a lot of rush,” Fowler said (H/T Bleacher Report). “He met with the Titans, met with the Patriots. Both teams made clear that they have major interest in signing him. I’m told there is some mutual interest and respect between the Patriots and Hopkins, that something could go down, but they couldn’t get that deal done while he was on the visit. You still have teams, like maybe the Chiefs, if they could clear up some money later, closer to training camp, then they could get involved. There’s some contenders there but right now, he is staying put and waiting for the right situation.”
While it appears Tennessee and New England are the front-runners as the only two teams he’s met with, it’s very possible more get in the mix in the weeks ahead, something Hopkins is apparently holding out for.
If all things are equal money-wise between the Pats and Titans, I believe Tennessee is the favorite to land him simply because they offer a better situation in terms of the players around him, and the ability to win.
However, my stance would change drastically if a Super Bowl contender like the Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills throw their hats in the ring. However, both teams will likely have to move money around to make it work, which could prevent them from jumping into the mix in the first place.
