Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith issues statement on DeAndre Hopkins

Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is holding out of training camp in protest of his contract situation, and general manager Rick Smith has issued a statement on the situation.

Optimism is high around the Houston Texans as the 2016 season nears, with a division title in 2015 followed by an active offseason that further bolstered the roster. General manager Rick Smith earned a contract extension for his work, but news surrounding the team has taken a bad turn with players reporting to training camp.

ESPN’s Tania Ganguli reported on Saturday morning that wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is unhappy with his contract and has decided to hold out. Hopkins is coming off a big season in 2015 (111 receptions for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns) as Houston’s clear top option in the passing game, but he is slated to make just $9.36 million over the final two years of his rookie contract and has clearly outperformed that salary level.

The Texans seem unlikely to re-negotiate a contract that has two years left on it, and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has confirmed that stance.

Smith has now issued a brief statement on the situation with Hopkins:

"“We are disappointed DeAndre has elected not to report to training camp with the rest of his teammates. He has expressed his position regarding his contract status, and we have been clear with both he and his representatives of ours. Our focus is on the 2016 season and all of our collective efforts and attention will be centered on that endeavor.”"

It’s clear no NFL veteran of any stature likes training camp, and Hopkins’ recent words about wanting to be “treated for what I’m worth” now look like foreshadowing. Someone’s going to have to budge here, but a $40,000 fine for every day of camp he misses and an upcoming roster bonus worth $445,000 has me betting on it being Hopkins.

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