Bill Belichick not overly disappointed about DeAndre Hopkins picking Titans over Patriots
FOXBORO -- All offseason long, rumors of DeAndre Hopkins landing with the Patriots dominated the NFL news cycle. In the end, Hopkins opted to take a more lucrative offer from the Tennessee Titans for the 2023 season.
Despite the Patriots' lengthy dalliance with Hopkins -- which included a visit from Hopkins to the Patriots' facility in June -- head coach Bill Belichick did not appear to be overly broken up about the situation when asked about it on Tuesday.
"We talked to a number of players from the middle of June until now. Talking to other players now. So, you know, there's a lot of roster movement at this time of year," Belichick said when asked about Hopkins choosing Tennessee.
Pressed on a follow-up about whether there was any disappointment in not landing Hopkins, Belichick largely punted on the opportunity.
"It's like hundreds of other players we deal with over the course of the year," Belichick said. "We have so many roster spots. Some sign here, some sign somewhere else. When there's an agreement, there's an agreement. When there's not, there's 31 other teams."
Hopkins, 31, was released by the Cardinals after last season. He caught 64 passes for 717 yards and three touchdowns in nine games played last year after serving a PED suspension. In his career, he's caught 853 passes for 11,298 yards and 71 touchdowns in 145 regular-season games.
The Patriots' contract offer was reportedly similar in total dollars to the one Hopkins accepted in Tennessee, though the New England deal reportedly included much more money tied to incentives.
