Former Clemson Star DeAndre Hopkins Exploring NFL Coaching Role

After spending over a decade in the NFL, former Clemson star DeAndre Hopkins might be on the tail end of his playing career, as he remains a free agent just weeks out from the start of preseason play.

On Friday morning, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel announced that Hopkins has been working with the team's wideouts as he weighs his options of whether he wants to continue his playing career or turn to coaching.

"DeAndre Hopkins is here with us," Vrabel told reporters when asked about his wide receiver corps. "He's kind of in a, you know, 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, whether that's personnel, and so I use him as an example because he wasn't the fastest receiver but he had an unbelievable playstyle, play-strength and route craft that allowed him to succeed."

Mike Vrabel announces that DeAndre Hopkins is in Foxborough with the Patriots “with coaching gear on” to work with the receivers this upcoming season. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/wo3nMgRbo1
— Augie Walters (@augiewalters13) July 24, 2026

As we know, the Central, South Carolina, native had an illustrious career with the hometown Tigers from 2010 to 2012, totaling 206 receptions for 3,020 yards and 27 touchdowns. As a junior, Hopkins earned Second Team All-American honors and still ranks tied for first in program history in touchdowns, second in receiving yards, and fifth in receptions.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound wideout went on to be selected by the Houston Texans with the 27th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and continued his dominance at the next level.

Hopkins spent his first seven years with the AFC South squad and emerged as one of the most talented receivers in the league in that near-decade span, as he logged 632 receptions for 8,602 yards and 54 touchdowns. He ranks second across all receiving stats for the franchise, trailing only Texans legend and Hall of Famer Andre Johnson.

Since leaving the organization after the 2019 season, though, Hopkins hasn't looked the same. Yes, he had a great year in 2020 with the Arizona Cardinals and a solid 1,000-yard campaign in 2023 with the Tennessee Titans, but injuries and age have become an undeniable factor in his current ability.

Now, at 34 years old and without a team just weeks before preseason begins, Hopkins finds himself at a crossroads. But at this point, it looks like his next snap will come from the sideline rather than the huddle, and honestly, given how cerebral his game always was, that tracks.

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