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NFL rumors: Patriots optimistic in DeAndre Hopkins deal during visit

The ball is now in DeAndre Hopkins’ court. After being shopped by the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, they couldn’t find a trade partner that would give them the return they were looking for. So, they released Hopkins from his contract, allowing him to speak with teams and sign as a free agent.

So far, Hopkins has visited the Tennessee Titans, which was reported by theScore’s Jordan Schultz as a “successful visit.” That also included Hopkins attending the Country Music Awards (CMAs). Now, Hopkins is set to visit the New England Patriots on Thursday, and the team is feeling mighty confident about their chances to sign him.

According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe (subscription required), there is “optimism” that the Patriots and Hopkins can find a way to reach an agreement on a contract.

Hopkins does have a connection with the Patriots, considering his former Houston Texans head coach, Bill O’Brien, is the team’s new offensive coordinator. While O’Brien was responsible for the Texans trading Hopkins to the Cardinals in 2020, ESPN’s Dianna Russini said that there’s “no animosity at all” between the two.

But the thing is, it will all depend on how much the Patriots are willing to offer him. Considering Odell Beckham Jr. earned a one-year, $15 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens despite missing the entire 2022 season, Hopkins may be looking for a deal in that range.

If the Patriots were to add Hopkins, they’d have quite the wide receiver corps also including JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, and Kendrick Bourne.