Patriots News: DeAndre Hopkins, Mac Jones, Jerod Mayo and Taylor Swift
Check out the latest news surrounding the New England Patriots as they prepare for their Week 15 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
DeAndre Hopkins takes a shot at the Patriots for not signing him this offseason?
One of the biggest stories to kick off the Patriots' 2023 season was Bill Belichick's inability to close the deal and sign DeAndre Hopkins to the team. Because the need for a game-changing wide receiver has been prevalent for years now, and it seemed like things were going in their favor with Hopkins, it was a missed opportunity to put together a better offensive roster for Mac Jones.
As we know, Hopkins ended up signing with the Titans and, for the most part, wasn't as productive in Tennessee as some imagined. That changed once rookie quarterback Will Levis took over for Ryan Tannehill, and the receiver is now coming off one of his best performances of the year in Week 14.
The Titans accomplished the unthinkable on Monday night, beating the Dolphins after falling behind 14 points with just over four minutes remaining in the game. Hopkins scored the first touchdown to bring them within seven points, followed by Derrick Henry on the next series, putting them ahead of Miami with less than two minutes left.
They went on to win the game, handing the Dolphins a heartbreaking loss that can only be blamed on themselves. This, of course, prompted Hopkins to speak about all those who doubted him before the season began, and he seemingly took a shot at the Patriots for passing on him this summer.
"It feels great especially all the people that didn’t want me, all the teams that wrote me off, said I wasn’t no good, said I can’t go out there and get open, said I can’t compete.
It feels good, man. I play with a chip on my shoulder, especially when this offseason, you know, it seemed like everybody said F U. So, (expletive), it feels good to be able to show that I still got it. I feel like I’m getting better, man."
Because New England was the only other team that had shown significant interest in signing the 31-year-old, it seems like Hopkins took it personally and now uses it as motivation to prove the doubters wrong.
But from what was reported, the only difference between the Patriots' and Titans' offers was money, which doesn't really signify a lack of belief from Bill Belichick's end. He's known for not wanting to spend big money on any player, so it wasn't anything personal. However, that doesn't seem to be how Hopkins feels about it.