After a protracted courtship, the Tennessee Titans are expected to sign All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones confirmed. The two-year contract will pay him $26 million in 2023 and 2024, including as much as $15 million during the first season, according to NFL Media.
Hopkins can earn up to $3 million in incentives each season, with up to $1 million in bonuses available based on his total number of receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
SportsLine’s Stephen Oh projected the impact of the signing, and it significantly raised Tennessee’s chances of winning the AFC South and making the playoffs.
Before7.946.5%20.9%31.2%1.2%0.4%w/ DeAndre Hopkins8.348.8%25.8%37.7%1.9%0.7%Difference0.42.4%4.9%6.5%0.7%0.3%
It’s easy to see why. Prior to this signing, Tennessee had one of the league’s least-threatening pass-catching corps. The Titans’ expected starting wide receivers were 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks and fourth-year former undrafted free agent Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on the outside, and 2022 fifth-rounder Kyle Philips in the slot. Now, Hopkins will likely slot in across from Burks while Westbrook-Ikhine goes back to playing a role as a situational deep threat.
Hopkins has primarily been an outside receiver for the majority of his career, but it’s worth noting that last year marked one of his highest rates of slot usage, so it is possible that the Titans use him that way as well. (Alignment stats below via Pro Football Focus.)
2013 Texans52812281.0%18.7%2014 Texans39917469.3%30.2%2015 Texans62611184.7%15.0%2016 Texans57016177.9%22.0%2017 Texans5309984.0%15.7%2018 Texans58814480.3%19.7%2019 Texans45227262.3%37.5%2020 Cardinals5956889.6%10.2%2021 Cardinals2925185.1%14.9%2022 Cardinals28210672.7%27.3%
As he’s gotten older, Hopkins has played more of a role as a short- and medium-depth…
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