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Could one of the best receivers of his generation hang up his cleats and change careers?
Wide receiver and three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins was in attendance at New England Patriots training camp Friday morning, with head coach Mike Vrabel revealing that Hopkins was considering coaching or taking a role on player personnel, according to the team’s website.
Vrabel’s connection to Hopkins, 34, comes from the receiver’s year playing for the 2023 Tennessee Titans head coach; Vrabel was fired after said season.
Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowler, spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Houston Texans (2013-19) before being traded to the Arizona Cardinals, with whom he played three seasons (2020-22). Arizona released Hopkins after the 2022 season, and he subsequently signed with the Titans, who then traded the veteran receiver to the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2024 season.
Hopkins spent the 2025 season with the Baltimore Ravens, totaling 22 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, Hopkins is 18th in NFL history with 13,295 regular season receiving yards and tied for 19th with 85 regular season receiving touchdowns.
That said, if Hopkins ultimately joins the Patriots roster, he would be part of a sprawling receiver room that includes offseason pickups AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs, as well as Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas, among others.
The Patriots enter their second season with Vrabel – who won three Super Bowls with the franchise as a linebacker (2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons) – as head coach, with the team coming off a 14-3 season that saw it reach Super Bowl LX. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye, who led the league with a 113.5 passer rating and 72.0% completion percentage, was a finalist for the 2025 NFL MVP award.
