DeAndre Hopkins Says 'There Was No Relationship' With Texans Coach Bill O'Brien

One month after the Texans shockingly traded DeAndre Hopkins, the wide receiver opened up to Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop to discuss the events surrounding it.

Hopkins recalled how he was working out with Julio Jones in Los Angeles when he received a call from Texans coach Bill O'Brien. The coach had a "businesslike approach" during the brief conversation where he told Hopkins he was being traded to the Cardinals.

"There was no relationship," Hopkins said. "Make sure you put that in there. There's not a lot to speak about."

Hopkins later addressed a phone call he had with Hall of Famer Michael Irvin after the trade, where he detailed an earlier meeting with O'Brien that contributed to his desire to be traded. Hopkins said O'Brien didn't usually take an interest in his personal life and during one meeting he made comments about former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, the convicted murderer who hanged himself in prison. 

O'Brien also used the term "baby mothers" to refer to the mothers of Hopkins's three children. Hopkins felt like his coach was judging him, and the conversation factored into his decision to try to leave Houston. Irvin later shared details about O'Brien and Hopkins's conversation on ESPN's Get Up.

Last week, Hopkins told reporters that he wasn't surprised by the trade after spending six seasons with the Texans. He revealed to Sports Illustrated that he was looking to go to a new team and knew how to set that plan in motion.

"Asking for a little raise would lead to the outcome that I got," he said, "which is the outcome that I wanted."

Analysis from Patrick Starr of State of the Texans: After the 2017 season, O’Brien backed Hopkins after a down season with Brock Osweiler as his quarterback. The Texans doubled down by paying him a contract extension that made him the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL

The contract situation flared up in 2019, with Laremy Tunsil and Deshaun Watson needing new contracts in the coming years. Hopkins's departure was a business transaction. Clearly there were bumps along the way.