The New England Patriots are very much interested in DeAndre Hopkins, it appears.
Hopkins is set to visit the Patriots in free agency next week, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Friday. New England would be the second team Hopkins visits in free agency, as he's reportedly flying to Tennessee this weekend to meet with the Titans.
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The Arizona Cardinals released the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver on May 26, and it was unclear whether the Patriots would be interested in acquiring him. While Hopkins is immensely talented, our Phil Perry reported the 31-year-old isn't necessarily viewed as a "program fit" in New England, in part because of his aversion to practices.
Hopkins also has a checkered past with Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, who traded him from the Houston Texans as the team's head coach/general manager prior to the 2020 season.
But the fact of the matter is the Patriots could use a game-changing talent like Hopkins in their wide receiver room. New England has several capable wideouts in JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton, but none are as dynamic as Hopkins, who averaged nearly 80 receiving yards per game in Arizona last season and has topped 1,000 receiving yards in six separate seasons.
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"I think the Patriots should go get DeAndre Hopkins," Perry said on a recent episode of Next Pats. "Is he a great fit? I would say from a culture perspective, no. That's OK with me. Because I think they are in need of talent, especially at that position."