Free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is meeting with the New England Patriots on Thursday but is “not in a major rush” to sign, ESPN reported.
Hopkins is willing to wait until training camp or early August to sign and the Patriots would have to make a “very sweet offer” to get his name on a contract this week, per the report.
The five-time Pro Bowl selection met with the Tennessee Titans last weekend but has a coaching connection with the Patriots.
The offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in New England is Bill O’Brien, whose head coaching tenure in Houston (2014-20) overlapped with Hopkins’ time with the Texans (2013-19). However, it was O’Brien, also the general manager at the time, who traded Hopkins to Arizona in March 2020.
The Arizona Cardinals released Hopkins, 31, on May 30 after three seasons after they reportedly failed to find a trade partner.
A three-time All-Pro, Hopkins recorded 221 receptions for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns in his three seasons in Arizona. He has 853 catches for 11,298 yards and 71 TDs in 145 career games (all starts).
Hopkins had 64 catches for 717 yards with three scores during a 2022 season in which he missed the first six games after being suspended for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. He missed the final two games with a knee injury.
The Patriots’ wide receivers room includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton and a pair of rookie sixth-round draft picks, Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas.
–Field Level Media