07 September 2023 , 22:50
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Tennessee Titans star DeAndre Hopkins has revealed that he approached four other NFL teams this off-season.
Hopkins was released by the Arizona Cardinals on May 26 following continued speculation about his future. The wide receiver was not traded prior to or during the 2023 NFL Draft and was instead released by the Cardinals.
Following the announcement, there was a large amount of speculation about which team Hopkins would end up signing for. The Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots were linked at one point with a possibility of signing the 31-year-old as an unrestricted free agent.
In the end, it was the Titans who signed Hopkins, with the deal being announced on July 24. Hopkins agreed to a two-year contract worth $26 million (£20.9 million) and will immediately become a starting receiver for the AFC South franchise.
With the 2023 NFL regular season about to begin, Hopkins will be busy gearing up for the Week One opener. The Titans face the Los Angeles Chargers in the opening game of the season, but things could have been different for the five-time Pro-Bowler.
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In an interview with , Hopkins has opened up on the process of finding a new team after being released by the Cardinals. He reveals that he sent calls to four other teams - Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, and the San Francisco 49ers - but received no response from either team.
"There were some teams that I had on my list that I gave them calls and they didn't give a call back," Hopkins said. "Detroit Lions, they didn't want me. Dallas Cowboys didn't want me. Giants didn't want me. S***. Who else ain't want me? San Fran[cisco 49ers] ain't want me."
The Titans are now the third team that Hopkins will have played for in his NFL career. After being drafted by the Houston Texans in 2013, where he would go on to spend seven seasons, he moved to Arizona and played for three seasons with the Cardinals.
Now in Tennessee, Hopkins says that he is thankful for the opportunity to kickstart his NFL career with a new team. "I'm very grateful for where I am, I think I made the best decision," Hopkins said.
"But when you're a player and some people feel like they're great without you, and then you see what they have on paper, or you see what they do, you mark those games down, as a competitor. I can't wait to play 'em and, honestly, try my best to crush they a**."