Titans’ DeAndre Hopkins Sends Stern Warning To Calvin Ridley

Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is happy that the team went out and signed Calvin Ridley this offseason. He finally has some help. However, he is letting Ridley know right off the bat that he won’t just come in and knock Hopkins out of the No. 1 receiver role.

Hopkins spoke about the Titans’ offseason additions (which also included receiver Tyler Boyd) at organized team activities this week, and he fired a warning shot at Ridley right from the get-go.

“I am always competing,” Hopkins said, via Jim Wyatt of the Titans’ official team website. “Any time we get anyone who is a No. 1 receiver, my mindset is to go out and outcompete them, outdo them. I’ve always had that mindset, Kobe Bryant being my favorite athlete of all time. Any time I get a chance to compete against anyone I am trying to outcompete them, trying to outdo them. And that’s only going to make the team better.”

Hopkins had a resurgent season in 2023, catching 75 passes for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns in his debut campaign in Tennessee after playing in just 19 games during his final two years with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 and 2022.

The 31-year-old is cautiously optimistic heading into next season.

“I think this is one of the best wide receiver groups I’ve had the chance to play with on paper,” Hopkins said. “Obviously, I could come up here and say a bunch, but we haven’t played a game yet. So, we’ll see how it goes once we hit the field.”

Ridley hauled in 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight scores with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, posting very similar numbers to Hopkins. It will be very interesting to see who ends up being the top dog for the Titans in 2024.

Of course, much of that depends on the play of quarterback Will Levis, who is entering his first full season as Tennessee’s starter. Hopkins is prepared to assist Levis any way he can.

“We have to be on the same page with Will,” Hopkins said. “We have to know what he is thinking, what he is doing, and be able to take his criticism, and him being able to take our criticism. It doesn’t happen just on the field, you have to build that bond. It’s up to us to go out and help him be the best quarterback he can be.”

The Titans went just 6-11 this past year, but with all of the moves they made this offseason, they certainly have the potential to be one of the more surprising teams in the AFC in 2024.

We’ll see if the duo of DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley ends up terrorizing opposing secondaries come September.