While big stars like Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson put an end to their long-awaited trade saga, the Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins found himself entangled with massive drama after shockingly getting released by his team a few weeks ago during the 2023 NFL offseason.
The ex-Cardinals star is now an unrestricted free agent and able to sign with any NFL team ahead of the season, albeit many fans are doubting his caliber to make an impact during the 2023 NFL season and the WR didn’t halt back from responding to the harsh criticism amid the rumor of his signing new deal with the New England Patriots.
DeAndre Hopkins’ recent statement sparks trade possibilities
The five-time Pro Bowl receiver has failed to make a Pro Bowl since 2020 and also has not reached 100 receptions or 1,000 yards since the period, however, DeAndre at 31 years of age, is still considered to be in the prime of his career.
A recent tweet from Sal Vetri about the 6-foot-1 wide receiver caught the attention of fans who were projecting D-Hop’s diminishing performance ahead. The tweet says the former Cardinals player ‘ranked 2nd at beating man coverage’, ‘earned 10.7 targets per game’, and ‘was 8th best at earning targets per route run’ in the last year.
Given his incredible track record and numerous accolades, including multiple Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors, it is hard to digest the fact of the WR suddenly losing his skills, and Hopkins decided to have some word in his defense by retweeting the tweet with a sarcastic comment saying, “Shhhhh. I’m old and cant get open.”
https://twitter.com/DeAndreHopkins/status/1635853167022821376?s=20
Following this, the three-time All-Pro receiver also shared another tweet of a critic with just three dots which says “Nobody should be foolish enough to pursue this player (Hopkins) who is clearly on the decline. Simply not worth the risk.”
Respect 🫡 https://t.co/clAbogHBER
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) December 7, 2022
Is Hopkins going to the Patriots?
The Cardinals began their search of finding a potential suitor for their former star and had trade discussions with several teams, nevertheless, the discussions never reached a successful end due to Hopkins‘s age and contract, and eventually, he got released at the end of May.
Hopefully, the saga is going to end soon as D-Hop is scheduled to visit the New England Patriots next week, per an inside source of ESPN.
The five-time Pro Bowl receiver got heavy praise from the Patriots coach Bill Belichick who gushed about the former Texan’s incredible athleticism, phenomenal route-running, and unmatched ability to make acrobatic catches,
“He’s a very smart football player, very savvy. But his ball skills are at the very elite level with guys that I’ve seen in this league. He’s up there with whoever the top guys are, the Cris Carters of the world, and guys like that.”
As the offseason progresses and teams make roster decisions, the NFL fans and pundits will be eagerly waiting to see where the veteran WR ultimately lands, however, If the rumor of him becoming a Patriots member becomes true, New England might enjoy a fair chance of bouncing back to the league following a disappointing score of average 21.4 points per game in 2022.
