DeAndre Hopkins’ brief run with the Patriots is already over.
Mike Vrabel said Thursday that the veteran receiver’s time around the team has ended, just days after Hopkins showed up to get a closer look at how New England operates behind the scenes. Vrabel called the stint worthwhile, saying, “It was a great experience,” and adding, “Hop’s not here, but it was a great experience for, I think, all of us.”
Hopkins spent last week with the Patriots in what was always meant to be a short visit. The 34-year-old was there for all four training camp practices before Wednesday’s off-day, working with the wide receiver group and helping position coach Todd Downing while also observing the team’s coaching and scouting work.
“That’s what we’re trying to do when we have some of these unique situations where a player or former player, whatever it may be, wants to come in and help and learn and they love football,” Vrabel said. “So, I think it was good for everybody.”
What comes next for Hopkins is still unclear. It’s not known whether he’ll return to the Patriots in any role, and it’s also not known if he plans to keep playing. He has been a free agent since his contract with the Ravens expired in March, and he has not officially announced his retirement.
Hopkins entered the league as a first-round pick by the Texans in 2013 and has built a long résumé across Houston, Arizona, Tennessee, Kansas City and Baltimore. In 204 regular-season and playoff games, he has 1,046 catches, 13,770 receiving yards and 87 touchdowns.
In Other News...
Greg McElroy Just Doubled Down On Clemsons Biggest 2024 Doubt
Clemson is heading into another season with a familiar kind of skepticism hanging over it, and Greg McElroy leaned right into that uncertainty on Always College Football. He said he believes the Tigers will win fewer than 10 games for a second straight year, something Clemson has not had happen since 2009 and 2010, pointing back to how last season fell short even with what looked like plenty of NFL-caliber talent on the roster.
The schedule does not leave much room for an easy rebound, either, with LSU and Miami among the challenges waiting early. McElroy also flagged one of the more notable changes around the program: Dabo Swinney has started using the transfer portal, a significant shift from the way he built Clemson for most of his tenure. For a team trying to prove last year was an outlier, that combination of expectations, pressure and change is what makes this fall feel especially important. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Still Faces A Tough RJ Godfrey Roster Decision
The latest roster wrinkle for Clemson comes from a court ruling that is suddenly giving older college players another avenue to extend their careers. Judge Charlotte Sweeney ordered the NCAA to grant an extra fifth year of eligibility to all athletes from the Class of 2022 who exhausted four seasons this spring, and former Tigers forward RJ Godfrey is among the players now covered by that decision. It adds another layer to an already fluid offseason for Brad Brownell, who has been navigating roster construction with a full 14-player group.
Godfreys situation is especially notable because there is already outside speculation about where he might play next, even though nothing has been confirmed. For Clemson, the question is less about what the ruling means in the abstract and more about how it affects the Tigers numbers, depth and flexibility going forward. Brownell may still add Godfrey or another player with extra eligibility, but for now the roster picture remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons 2026 Hopes Ride On A Few New Faces Growing Up Fast
Clemson enters 2026 in a familiar place, but with a noticeably different look after losing several key players to the NFL draft and the transfer portal. The Tigers are bringing back 53 percent of their production, which leaves Dabo Swinney leaning on a new wave of contributors who will need to grow up fast if Clemson wants to stay in the mix next fall.
Christopher Vizzina is among the names at the center of that transition at quarterback, while Bryant Wesco Jr. gives the offense an intriguing target as he works back into the picture after his back injury. On the other side, Sammy Brown looks like the kind of linebacker Clemson will need to anchor the defense and settle things down for a group that has some major holes to fill, making his development one of the more important storylines of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]