DeAndre Hopkins' first words as Tennessee Titans signing is made official
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins officially signed with the Tennessee Titans on Monday and issued his first statement to his new fan base.
His two-year, $26 million contract gives the team a new first-choice pass catcher, and he sounded excited to take on the role. "Man, I feel real good, blessed," Hopkins said in a video. "Grateful to be here. Thank you Nashville, thank you Tennessee. Let's get to work."
On the Titans' official website, he added: "This was a team that as soon as the offseason hit and I knew I was possibly going to be traded, this was a team that was on my list of places that I wanted to play because of the history Mike Vrabel and I have, the history [offensive coordinator] Tim Kelly and I have. I wanted to be somewhere where I knew people had my best interests, not just on the field but off the field as well."
Hopkins seemed on the verge of joining the New England Patriots earlier this summer, even visiting the organisation's facilities before negotiations broke down. According to ESPN, the lack of guaranteed money in the Patriots' offer spoiled talks. That left an opening for the Titans to add him to a receiving corps which finished 30th in the NFL in yardage last year after trading A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The NFL suspended Hopkins for six games under its performance-enhancing drugs policy last year, and the Arizona Cardinals released him in May to clear cap space after he caught 64 passes for 717 yards. But he has been one of the most effective receivers of the past decade when he's on the field. The 31-year-old ranks third among active players in career receiving touchdowns (71), second in receptions (853) and second in receiving yards (11,298).
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Drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Hopkins wasted little time asserting himself as a superstar downfield threat. However, injuries and suspension slowed his production following a trade to the Cardinals.
Because Hopkins worked with Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly in Houston, he is confident he can return to top form in the coming campaign. Running back Derrick Henry typically draws defensive backs closer to the line of scrimmage, and Hopkins could exploit that with deep routes.
The Arizona Cardinals released DeAndre Hopkins, and he feels he has much to prove now that he's signed with the Tennessee Titans. (Getty Images)"Vrabel is a straight-shooter, and over my career he has always checked in on me," Hopkins said. "Even when I was in Houston, he was a defensive coach, but he would still check on me just to see how I was doing – that always stuck with me, and I always wanted to be around people like that. I always wanted to be somewhere where I knew I could maximise my potential, not just as a player, but as DeAndre. And I knew Vrabel, being around him, that's what he brings out of you."
Doubters often drive Hopkins to improve his play, and plenty of critics emerged during his tenure in Arizona. He views Tennessee as a perfect destination to make a statement to the rest of the NFL. "They are getting somebody who doesn't have an ego, someone who is coming in and bonding to the system," Hopkins said.
"I've always had something to prove, and that's how I play my game. The decision to come to Nashville, obviously, made a lot of people mad. But I kind of felt at home being here from the get-go, from early on. Tennessee is a team not many people put on their list, and I think I am not just speaking for myself, but the team as well, people are writing us off."
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