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Could one of the best wide receivers of his generation hang up his cleats and make a career change?
Wide receiver and three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins was present at New England Patriots training camp on Friday morning, and head coach Mike Vrabel revealed that Hopkins is considering becoming a coach or taking on a role on player personnel, according to the team’s website.
Vrabel’s connection to Hopkins, 34, comes from the year the receiver played for the Tennessee Titans head coach in 2023; Vrabel was fired after that 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 then 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. In total, Hopkins ranks 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 were to eventually join the Patriots’ roster, he would be part of a wide receiver group that includes offseason recruits AJ 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, and the team is 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 the runner-up for the 2025 NFL MVP Award.
