Could one of the best wide receivers of his generation be hanging up his cleats and making a career change?
Wide receiver and three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins was present at New England Patriots’ training camp on Friday morning, with head coach Mike Vrabel revealing that Hopkins is considering becoming a coach or taking on a role in player personnel, according to the team’s website.
Vrabel’s connection to the 34-year-old Hopkins comes from the one year the receiver played for the head coach on the Tennessee Titans in 2023; 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, with him later signing 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. In all, Hopkins is 18th in NFL history with 13,295 regular-season receiving yards and tied for 19th with 85 regular-season receiving touchdowns.
All that said, if Hopkins ultimately joined the Patriots’ roster, he’d be part of a wide receiver room that includes offseason pickups A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, as well as Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas, among others.
The Patriots are entering 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 a 72.0% completion percentage, was the runner-up for the 2025 NFL MVP Award.