During his time with the Houston Texans, DeAndre Hopkins might have been the best receiver in the NFL.
In just six years with Houston, he racked up 632 catches for 8,602 yards and 54 touchdowns, sitting second in franchise history in all three of those categories.
In fact, the only player that sits ahead of him in the stat book for the Texans is a future Hall of Famer in Andre Johnson, who spent 11 years in Houston and saw 592 more targets than Hopkins.
Suffice it to say, Hopkins made the most of his time in Houston, and the Texans are about to get a reminder of just how good he was with they face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Just ask Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, who gushed over Hopkins in his Wednesday press conference.
“You talk about contested catches, he’s one of the best, if not, the best in the league,” Ryans said. “He does a really good job even though he doesn’t have to separate much because he has such a great catch radius and he’s competitive at the catch point. He’s also been an explosive, dynamic player in this league for a very long time.”
Hopkins, now 31, hasn't really slowed down either, making 57 catches for 898 yards and six scores, averaging a near-career best 15.8 yards per catch.
He is also on pace for 1,000 yards for the first time since 2020 with Arizona.
More than that, his aptitude for making incredibly tough catches, continues to shine.
“Tough matchup. He’s their number one guy,” Ryans said. “A friendly target for a young quarterback to throw to. Hopkins has made a ton of plays for them. You see the speed down the field, you see the catch radius. He’s having a great year.”
Sunday will mark Hopkins' second game against his original team since leaving in 2020, and the first game vs. the Texans with Tennessee - an AFC South rival.
And just two weeks later, Hopkins will make his first return to Houston since his departure.
Before then, however, the Texans will have a chance to get reacquainted to their old star.
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