Throughout the NFL offseason, there’s been somewhat of a buzz surrounding former All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and where he might end up for what would be his 14th season in the NFL.
Some have even speculated whether the Houston Texans would be a good fit to host the 33-year-old as a veteran in their wide receiver room to fill out the back-end of their depth chart.
Hopkins has been vocal about being interested in playing for a contending team if the opportunity arose, and the Texans do fit that mold, if they were interested in adding another experienced pass-catcher to their offense.
However, it seems like Hopkins could be settling into a role that wouldn’t involve him playing on the field––and could instead be interested in starting a career as a coach.
DeAndre Hopkins Starting His Coaching Career?
As of this week and the start of training camps kicking off around the league, Hopkins was seen working with the New England Patriots’ wide receivers in a coaching role that head coach Mike Vrabel allowed him to fill in for a few days.
Vrabel made it clear that Hopkins wasn’t competing for a spot on the Patriots’ roster, but instead working with players and staff to test the waters for a possible coaching career following his playing days in the league.
“DeAndre Hopkins is here with us kind of in, just to kind of check things out as far as what he wants to do as far as coaching,” Vrabel said. “And so I use him as an example because he wasn’t the fastest receiver, but he had an unbelievable play style, a play strength, and route craft that allowed him to succeed.”
So rather than trying out for a role on the field and getting one to two more seasons in for his illustrious playing career, it seems that Hopkins might just be moving to a new phase of his time in the NFL by working on the sidelines as a voice on a coaching staff.
And as a result, it tends to be a bit of a hint that teams might not have any clear interest in adding him as a piece to their 90-man roster––which, of course, includes his former team in Houston, who could be well off in their receiver room as is.
Hopes of a DeAndre Hopkins-Texans Reunion Dwindling By the Day
While there hasn’t been any clear indication that the Texans have shown interest to add Hopkins back to their roster, the idea does tend to add up as one that’s at least worth considering.
He’s an experienced, tested wideout who could bring value as a situational guy at the back-end of their depth chart, hauled in 22 receptions for over 300 yards last season with the Baltimore Ravens, and he also offer a strong voice in the room to help guide young talents like Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, and Lewis Bond.
But the Texans do have a lot of competition in the wide receiver room as it is. 12 wideouts are currently on their 90-man roster heading into camp, with several of those being on the roster bubble looking to find some staying power in the coming weeks, whether that be Bond, Justin Watson, or UDFA Daniel Sobkowicz.
So when putting two and two together–– the Texans deep wide receiver room and a potential coaching career being of interest to Hopkins–– the signs tend to point towards Hopkins not being a part of this roster any time soon.
Could a coaching role be in his future back where it all started in Houston? That seems to be a much more probable outcome at this point. But for now, Hopkins is staying busy in Foxborough, while the Texans will soon be doing the same in their training camp once it starts up this coming week.
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