Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins didn’t appreciate being turned down by several NFL teams
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has a large chip on his shoulder right now for what he perceives as more than a few major slights against him during his search for a new club to play for following his release from the Arizona Cardinals this past May. And he had a particular message for the Detroit Lions in the process.
Hopkins was released by the Cardinals earlier this year
Hopkins, who was taken with the 27th overall pick in the 2013 Draft by the Houston Texans, went on to play several years with Houston and earned several Pro Bowl appearances in the process. He would be traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2020, where he would go on to play three seasons before his release.
Hopkins calls out the Detroit Lions
He’s since signed a two-year deal with the Tennessee Titans, but he’s calling out a handful of teams he contacted but apparently had no interest in return, including the Lions.
“There were some teams that I had on my list that I gave them calls and they didn’t give a call back,” he said. “Detroit Lions, they didn’t want me,” Hopkins said. “Dallas Cowboys didn’t want me. [New York] Giants didn’t want me. S–t. Who else ain’t want me? [The San Francisco 49ers] ain’t want me.”
The Lions already feature plenty of young offensive weapons like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams along with Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta, so it may not have made sense to bring in Hopkins.
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- DeAndre Hopkins was released by the Arizona Cardinals earlier this year in a surprising move
- He said that he contacted a handful of teams, but they didn’t return the interest – including the Detroit Lions
- Hopkins plans to “crush” the teams that rejected him
Bottom Line: Hopkins won’t forget who rejected him
“I’m very grateful for where I am, I think I made the best decision,” he said. “But when you’re a player and some people feel like they’re great without you, and then you see what they have on paper, or you see what they do, you mark those games down, as a competitor. I can’t wait to play’ em and, honestly, try my best to crush they ass.”
However, Hopkins won’t get a chance to “crush” the Lions this year, as they don’t play each other.
