DeAndre Hopkins may be calling it a career as a player to transition into a new NFL role.
Hopkins is in camp with the New England Patriots, but in a coaching role, Mike Vrabel announced Friday. Hopkins is tasked with helping out the team’s offensive staff to test out how he likes coaching and scouting.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel says that DeAndre Hopkins is with the team to start camp to explore the idea of coaching or scouting. Vrabel had Hopkins in Tennessee in 2023.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 24, 2026
"He's got coaching gear on, and he's helping out the offensive coaches."
Hopkins is still a free agent and has not made any official retirement announcement. As recently as March, he was making noise about playing again in 2026, and that may still be the case.
The 34-year-old is certainly still young enough to play. He spent last season with the Baltimore Ravens, but only caught 22 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He suggested that the Ravens did not utilize him enough, and it’s possible he would rather just go into coaching rather than play a bit part role in someone’s offense in 2026.
Hopkins has accumulated 13,295 receiving yards throughout his illustrious career. However, he has not had a 1,000-yard season since 2023 with the Tennessee Titans.
