DeAndre Hopkins may be starting to sketch out life after playing, and the first stop looks like New England.
The former Ravens wideout is spending time with the Patriots and, according to the reporting, is testing the waters in coaching. On Friday, videos showed Hopkins working with New England receivers during contested catch drills, the kind of work that has defined so much of his career. The setup is informal for now, but it’s enough to make you wonder whether a new football lane is opening for the 34-year-old.
That would be a notable turn for a player who still seems to have something left as a receiver. Hopkins’ 2025 line - 22 catches, 330 yards and two touchdowns - isn’t eye-popping, but it does point to a useful rotational piece. He has also said he remains interested in suiting back up, which leaves the door open for a return to the field in 2026.
His Baltimore stint, though, never quite became what some expected when the Ravens signed him last offseason. There was real buzz about what a contested-catch specialist could do in a Lamar Jackson offense, especially after Hopkins opened with a one-handed 29-yard touchdown in Week 1 and followed that with two catches for 64 yards and another score in Week 2. After that, he faded from the offense, and the fit never really took off.
Now Baltimore has moved on by adding veteran Chris Moore to the wide receiver room, and Hopkins appears to be exploring what comes next. If this is the beginning of a coaching path, the Patriots make a logical place for it. Hopkins spent the lone season he played under Mike Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans in 2023, and Vrabel said Hopkins is hanging around the coaching staff and personnel while helping the receivers.
For a five-time Pro Bowler with a reputation for elite hands, concentration and catch radius, the appeal is obvious. Hopkins has spent his career making tough grabs look routine, and that kind of knowledge can carry real value on a sideline. The Patriots haven’t made anything official, but for now Hopkins is in the building, working with the wideouts and seeing whether this next chapter might be coaching rather than catching.
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