DeAndre Hopkins signs with Tennessee Titans, NFL insider says

Former Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins has signed a two-year contract with the Tennessee Titans, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The contract is tabbed at $26 million which can rise to $32 million if incentives are reached with a base salary of $12 million in the first year. However, his first-year price tag can rise to $15 million Rapoport reported.

Hopkins took a visit to Tennessee in late June.

The Cardinals released Hopkins on May 26 with two years left on his contract in order to free up more than $10 million in cap space for the 2023 season by incurring a cap hit of more than twice that amount this coming year.

Trade rumors had chased Hopkins this entire offseason with Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray recovering from an ACL injury and the team looking to rebuild.

Hopkins held talks with new general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon and continued living and working out privately in Arizona.

But the writing was on the wall as he hired an agent — he previously represented himself — with the expectation he would need to work out a new contract in order for a trade to surface.

“For me, no. I have no ego,” Hopkins said before being released on the I Am Athlete podcast. “This is a business, this is a professional sport. Obviously, there’s a new regime, … so for me, understanding and knowing the business, I can’t go into it with an ego.”

Hopkins, who dealt with knee issues the past two seasons, posted 64 catches for 717 yards last season in nine games.

Hopkins went on his new Threads account to state he intended to play in the NFL for as long as he could be a 1,000-yard per-season pass-catcher.

“I’ll retire from football when I’m not a 1k-yard receiver. With that said, I was on pace for 1,400 yards last year—one significant injury in 11 years. I might be playing till I’m 37 the way I feel,” he posted.

In Tennessee, he would join a roster which lost top receiver Robert Woods and is searching for a quarterback of the future. The Titans have veteran Ryan Tannehill still on the roster but also drafted Will Levis with the 33rd overall pick this offseason.

Returning weapons for the Titans include second-year receiver Treylon Burks, tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo and fourth-year pro Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

Tennessee got an up-close look at Hopkins last offseason during a joint practice with Arizona that included a one-handed catch, as well as this toe-tap touchdown in 2021.

.@DeAndreHopkins gets two feet in. Touchdown, @AZCardinals!

📺: #AZvsTEN on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/0Sv1PLF7s1

— NFL (@NFL) September 12, 2021

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