When the New England Patriots hired Mike Vrabel as head coach, they were banking on him establishing a program in Foxboro that players around the league would be drawn to. The move is already working in their favor with top free agents like Milton Williams, Kevin Byard, Dre’Mont Jones, and Alijah Vera-Tucker choosing New England.
It’s only Year 2 of the Vrabel era, but the Patriots may already be getting more than they bargained for.
Vrabel confirmed during his pre-training camp presser on Friday that DeAndre Hopkins, a former five-time All-Pro wide receiver and potential future Hall of Famer, has been visiting with the Patriots with an eye on getting into coaching and will continue to work with the team this week as camp officially kicks off on Saturday.
“He asked if he could come hang out for a few days and be around the coaches, and be around the personnel department, and I called the league and made sure that that was going to be OK. And then I invited him back, and that’s where he’s been the last couple of days and where he’ll be for the next couple of days," Vrabel said.
"I tried to say it as clearly as I could twice, and I can say it for a third time," the coach added, "but he has got coaching gear on and he is helping out the offensive coaches and meeting with our personnel guys. I mean, he loves football. People that love football and have played the game for the length of time that he did, he wants I think to explore the opportunities and what that looks like once his playing career is over.”
DeAndre Hopkins is here visiting the Patriots, per Mike Vrabel, with Vrabel saying Hopkins is considering the possibility of a coaching career.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 24, 2026
DeAndre Hopkins could have a future on the Patriots' coaching staff
Even at the age of 34, Hopkins can still play. He’s been among the most efficient wideouts in the game throughout his 13 years in the league. Just last season, he averaged an elite 15 yards per reception on 39 targets in a part-time role with the Baltimore Ravens.
Hopkins signed with Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans as a free agent in 2023 with a mindset of helping the team in any capacity — especially as a mentor.
"I approach it as a challenge to help those guys get to where they want to get to," he told reporters then, via ESPN. "Obviously, it's about the team, so whatever I can do to help those guys on and off the field, that's what I'll do."
It would be hard to find a better influence for New England’s top boundary receivers like A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, and second-year pro Kyle Williams. Hopkins was an ironman at the position over his first eight years in the league, starting 126 of a possible 128 regular season games over that stretch while securing five Pro Bowl nods. He was also a three-time First-Team All-Pro.
Based on Vrabel’s framing, Hopkins has been purely moonlighting in Foxboro. He hasn’t been hired as an assistant coach, nor is he secretly trying out for a spot on the 53-man roster. Vrabel already has a respected wide receiver coach in place that he trusts in Todd Downing.
But could Hopkins soon secure some type of special assistant or quality control role as a mentor to the Patriots’ wide receiver room, and even quarterback Drake Maye? New England already bulked up at wide receiver this offseason by signing Doubs and acquiring Brown in a trade with the Eagles.
More help could be on the way, and it’s hard not to see that potential outcome as a net positive for Vrabel’s Patriots in 2026.
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