DeAndre Hopkins is dipping his toe in the coaching waters.
The former Pro Bowl receiver is visiting the New England Patriots this week to get a feel for the coaching world, head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Friday as veterans reported for camp.
"DeAndre Hopkins is here with us … just to kind of check things out as far as what he wants to do, as far as coaching. You'll see him on the field," Vrabel said.
A three-time first-team All-Pro, Hopkins played last season in Baltimore, catching a career-low 22 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns, and is currently a free agent. Last month, Hopkins said he believes he still has “a lot of ball left,” but wouldn't try to force his way onto a club.
Hopkins and Vrabel have a lengthy history. The two were in Houston together for four years (2014-17) when Vrabel was an assistant for the Texans, and reunited for a year in Tennessee in 2023, Vrabel's final season as head coach with the Titans.
"(Hopkins) and I talked, and he asked if he could come hang out for a couple days and be around the coaches and be around the personnel department," he said. "I called the league and made sure that that was gonna be OK. Then I invited him back, and that's where he's been the last couple days, and he'll be here for the next couple days."
Testing out the coaching waters could be a fallback option if nothing materializes for Hopkins to step between the lines in 2026.
"He has got coaching gear on, and he is helping out the offensive coaches and meeting with our personnel guys," Vrabel added. "He loves football. People that love football and have played the game for the length of time that he did [want] to, I think, explore the opportunities and what that looks like after his playing career is over."
