The Patriots are hosting free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on Wednesday and Thursday, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones, days after the former Pro Bowler met with the Titans. New England is also optimistic the two sides can reach an agreement, per The Athletic, just as concern mounts regarding the availability of JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Smith-Schuster was one of the team’s prized free-agent additions this offseason, landing a three-year, $25.5 million deal to replace departed starter Jakobi Meyers. But the former Steelers and Chiefs veteran suffered a knee injury in the AFC Championship Game and is still recovering from it, with coach Bill Belichick labeling Smith-Schuster “day to day” at minicamp.
With a previous injury history, which extended from Pittsburgh to Kansas City, Smith-Schuster may already be well behind schedule getting acclimated to the Patriots’ offense, NFL Media speculates. That could be part of the reason the team is so interested in courting Hopkins, who’d slot in as an immediate starter if signed.
It’s unclear exactly how much Hopkins is seeking on the open market, but the Patriots currently have just over $14 million in available salary cap space for 2023. They’d previously been linked to the former Texans and Cardinals star via trade, but potential talks never materialized due primarily to the steep salary Hopkins commanded on his previous deal.
There is no expected timetable for Hopkins to make a decision on his next destination, according to Jones.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
June 14, 2023 | 12:37 pm
