Former Patriots star takes shot at Will Levis for DeAndre Hopkins as Chiefs get their new top receiver
DeAndre Hopkins went from Kyler Murray and an Arizona Cardinals offense that couldn't quite get over the hump, to the Tennessee Titans. When he arrived, the team still had Mike Vrabel and Ryan Tannehill, two key pieces of the team that went to the AFC Championship.
This season, Hopkins has had to contend with Brian Callahan and Will Levis, with neither being the package he expected when he arrived. Sensing an upgrade for Hopkins in his move to the Kansas City Chiefs, former Patriots strong safety Rodney Harrison went out on a limb to take a shot at seemingly the entire operation in Tennessee, including Levis.
"Finally, I get to an organization where I know I have a leader, I know I got the pieces around me," Harrison said on Friday's episode of 'Pro Football Talk' (03:10). " ... These guys are professionals. ... So now he's at the point where he's like, 'my God, I can't believe I'm here with the Kansas City Chiefs.'"
"'I actually get a real quarterback throwing me the ball. ... DeAndre Hopkins was just going through the motions when he was out in Tennessee."
Will Levis' NFL story has been a rollercoaster ride. It started with a lower set of expectations leading up to his drafting. However, in the final week after months of buildup, he suddenly got some hype. Instead of getting picked at the top of the first round, Levis was forced to wait until the second day of the NFL draft.
Then, he was forced to wait most of the 2023 season for his first start, where he and Hopkins connected immediately. It has since been downhill as the Titans eventually turned to backup Mason Rudolph and sent Levis to the bench.
DeAndre Hopkins looking to complete first two-year perfect attendance run in nearly a decade
As athletes age, their attendance is supposed to drop due to injuries and other life commitments. However, DeAndre Hopkins is amid his best attendance run in nearly a decade.
If he can remain available for every game this year, the veteran WR will have gone two full years without an absence since being with the Houston Texans.
In 2015 and 2016, Hopkins played 16 games in both seasons. While his attendance has been nearly perfect for most of his career, except in 2021 and 2022, there has been at least one absence every two years until potentially the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Can DeAndre Hopkins remain healthy and be on the field for the remainder of the 2024 campaign?