The New England Patriots were interested in acquiring DeAndre Hopkins before he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. While the path to acquiring him became easier once he became a free agent, New England will be at a significant disadvantage.
Hopkins is expected to field offers from multiple Super Bowl contenders and is comparing teams based on a variety of factors. He wants to play on a team with one of the best defenses in the NFL with stable management and a quarterback who loves the game.
- DeAndre Hopkins stats (career): 853 receptions, 11,298 receiving yards, 71 touchdowns
Related: NFL insider reveals what DeAndre Hopkins wants from next team
New England checks off those boxes and it does have the cap space to sign Hopkins, potentially offering more than teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. However, Bill Belichick’s decision to hire Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator could prove costly.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Hopkins isn’t eager to be reunited with O’Brien with their history on the Houston Texans proving to be an issue. If New England wants to have any chance at changing that, Fowler suggests money will need to convince Hopkins.
While Hopkins delivered some of his best seasons during O’Brien’s tenure as the Houston Texans head coach, it also came with plenty of problems. O’Brien allegedly once compared Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez and the two had a very rocky relationship.
Serving as the Texans’ general manager, O’Brien orchestrated the trade that sent Hopkins to Arizona. He essentially gave him away to the Cardinals, with NFL executives ripping Houston for the deal it made.
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Money talks and the contract offers Hopkins receives are expected to have a heavy influence on his decision. However, his bad relationship with O’Brien and long-standing criticisms of his practice habits make it unlikely he plays for the Patriots net season.