Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins throws major shade at the Texans

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Jul 25, 2024 4:11 PM ET

Some of the best statistical seasons of DeAndre Hopkins’ NFL career came during his time with the Houston Texans.

But that doesn’t mean his fondest memories are in Houston. In fact, as the 32-year-old receiver tells it, his experience with the Tennessee Titans has actually been the best of his career.

“I love Tennessee, I love what [controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk] is doing,” Hopkins told reporters. “So you know, I think this is the happiest I've been in any organization, so just let that speak for itself. ... It's a great place to be, (Adams Strunk is) putting pieces together, trying to win and it's exciting."

In his first season with the Titans, Hopkins logged 75 receptions, 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. It was his first 1,000-yard season since 2020 and his 14.1 yards per reception average was his highest since 2017.

DeAndre Hopkins
•Stats with Levis-
-8.63 targets
-67.88 yards
-16.97 yards per catch
-.75 TD/Game
•Led league in Air Yards
•Titans now a pass heavy offense
•Levis sophomore leappic.twitter.com/G2LSgNH5lF
— Nick Guglielmo (@NextLvl_Fantasy) July 5, 2024

Heading into his second season with the Titans, the organization underwent a pretty major shakeup during the offseason in firing head coach Mike Vrabel and hiring former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as his replacement.

But even with the regime changes, Hopkins' year-plus in Tennessee still stands out above his seven seasons in Houston. And who could blame him? Hopkins spent the majority of his Texans tenure playing under former head coach/general manager Bill O’Brien — a guy Hopkins clashed with on more than one occasion.

Things were so bad between the two that O’Brien sent Hopkins and a fourth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals in 2020 for running back David Johnson plus second- and fourth-round picks in an ill-fated trade that many believed the Texans came out on the losing end of.

Though Hopkins is in the final season of his two-year, $26M contract, it sure sounds like he plans on sticking around Nashville beyond the 2024 season.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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