Titans’ DeAndre Hopkins chirps detractors after highlight-reel catch in training camp

There’s a new energy around the Tennessee Titans after the club agreed to terms with five-time All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins on a two-year deal. A wide receiving corps that desperately needed a No. 1 pass-catcher now has one, and he was even on the practice field for the first two days of training camp.

There’s a narrative out there concerning Hopkins that he’s not the biggest fan of practice. You wouldn’t have been able to tell that from his first two days in a Titans uniform. Friday, Hopkins made a pretty incredible catch on Tennessee’s top cornerback Kristian Fulton, and then took to Twitter to make sure NFL fans saw he was indeed participating in a practice session.

Hopkins actually addressed the “practice” narrative during his introductory press conference with the Titans, and said it was always “overblown.” He even claimed it was born during his time with the Houston Texans — the byproduct of a messy breakup.

While Hopkins is now 31 years old, he showed in 2022 he can still be an elite receiver. In nine games played with the Arizona Cardinals, he averaged 7.1 catches per game (fourth in NFL) and 79.7 receiving yards per game (10th in NFL).