DeAndre Hopkins’ brief run on the New England Patriots’ sideline is already over.
Mike Vrabel said Thursday, before practice at Gillette Stadium, that the veteran receiver is no longer with the team after spending the past few days around the Patriots’ training camp operation.
“It was a great experience,” Vrabel said. “Hop’s not here, but it was a great experience for, I think, all of us.”
Hopkins’ stay was never meant to be permanent. The 34-year-old came in last week to get a close look at how the Patriots handle coaching and scouting, and he was present for all four training camp practices before Wednesday’s off-day. During that stretch, he worked with the wide receiver group and assistant coach Todd Downing.
“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 happens next for Hopkins is still unclear. It’s also not known whether he plans to keep playing. The five-time All-Pro has been a free agent since his contract with the Ravens expired in March, and he has not announced retirement.
Hopkins entered the league as a first-round pick by the Texans in 2013 and has played 204 regular season and playoff games across Houston, Arizona, Tennessee, Kansas City and Baltimore. His career totals sit at 1,046 catches, 13,770 receiving yards and 87 touchdowns.
In Other News...
Patriots Camp Just Exposed One Roster Battle Fans Feared Most
The Patriots are about to reach a more revealing point in camp, with their fifth practice session set to be the first in full pads. After a few days of lighter work, that should give coaches a better read on a roster that has already been reshaped by major additions at receiver and by the early push from players trying to hold onto jobs. Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown are still building chemistry with Drake Maye under Josh McDaniels, while the offensive line has shown enough promise to suggest the group may be coming together faster than expected.
Kayshon Boutte has also turned early opportunities into a real roster argument, which matters on a depth chart that suddenly has more competition than it did a month ago. Camp is still young, but the next few padded sessions should tell a lot about who can separate from the pack and who is simply keeping pace. For a team trying to sort out its passing game and stabilize the pieces around Maye, those evaluations carry more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Vrabel Just Raised A Bigger Patriots WR Question As Boutte Surges
Training camp is usually where a team learns whether its receiver room is deep enough to survive the season, and Mike Vrabel made clear that New England is still sorting through that question. He pointed to the value of competition at the position and left open the idea that the Patriots could improve the group in a few different ways, whether through added draft capital, bringing in a player or simply sticking with what is already there.
Kayshon Boutte has helped make that conversation more interesting. Vrabel praised the third-year receiver for a strong offseason, a good start to camp and the professional way he has handled his role, noting how much he has already meant to the team's success. With Boutte in a contract year and trying to keep building on that momentum, the bigger issue for New England is whether his rise is enough to settle the depth chart or only sharpens the need to keep looking. [Read more 🡒]