On July 16, star free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins signed a 2-year deal, worth up to $32 million. Following the news, Hopkins posted a photo of him and elite Titans runningback Derrick Henry onto Instagram.
The Hopkins sweepstakes began on May 26, after Hopkins was released following the Cardinals' inability to find a suitable trade partner. His cap hit of $30.75 million was a team-high, causing the Cardinals to search a move for him. Hopkins missed the first 6 games of the 2022 NFL season following violating the NFL's PED policy. He still "averaged 7.1 catches per game (fourth in NFL) and 79.7 receiving yards per game (10th in NFL) despite playing in just nine contests," as reported by CBS Sports. Multiple reports sought a future in New England for Hopkins, some even stating "Hopkins to Buffalo", but he would end up landing in Tennessee after all.
Hopkins had previous connections with the Titans coaching staff, in Mike Vrabel and Tim Kelly. Vrabel, the current Titans' head coach, was a Texans defensive assistant during Hopkins' Texans tenure. Kelly, the Titans offensive coordinator, was formerly the Texans' offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021, with that 2019 season leading Hopkins to an impressive 1165 yards on 104 receptions.
The addition of Hopkins in Tennessee looks to bolster what was "statistically the third-worst offense in the league (296.8 yards of total offense per game), and the third-worst passing offense (171.4 passing yards per game)." His veteran presence at 31 years old will allow young wideout Treylon Burks to improve his game. Ryan Tannehill now has a new toy to play with, a toy that can lead to major plays, to win major games.
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