The Houston Texans made an unpopular decision on Monday to trade DeAndre Hopkins, and they are now trying to justify the deal in the wake of an unflattering report about Bill O’Brien’s dealings with the star wide receiver.
Hopkins approached the Texans this offseason and informed them he wanted a new contract that would pay him between $18-20 million per year, ESPN’s Dianna Russini reports. He apparently told the team he would hold out if they did not make him one of the highest-paid receivers in football.
After the Texans agreed to trade DeAndre Hopkins, sources told me Hopkins' reps told the Texans weeks prior he wanted a new deal paying him somewhere between $18- $20mil per year. The team was told Hopkins wouldn't show, if he didn't get the deal. Houston moved forward with trade
— Dianna (@diannaESPN) March 18, 2020
The Texans say that led to their decision to trade Hopkins, who has three years and $40 million remaining on his deal. While it would not be a surprise if Hopkins wanted a raise to reflect his consistent production, it sounds like there was a lot more to the situation than a contract dispute.
Former NFL receiver Michael Irvin said Wednesday that Hopkins told him Texans head coach Bill O’Brien compared Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez in a meeting, and the two were tangled up in a power struggle.
There are two sides to every story, and that is what we have here. Texans fans want to know why one of the best receivers in football was traded for David Johnson and a draft pick, and Hopkins says things went south because of the way O’Brien treated him. Houston says Hopkins wanted more money and was threatening to become a headache. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.
