Ravens' DeAndre Hopkins Remains Grateful Despite Rocky Season

A 7-7 season is not what DeAndre Hopkins signed on for when he joined the Baltimore Ravens this past offseason.

This has been a regular season campaign that's been nothing short of a massive disappointment for the perennial contenders. Even now, coming off of arguably their best game of the season where they scored 24 unanswered points in a shutout win over the Cincinnati Bengals, these Ravens still have a long way to go to complete the long crawl back to the playoffs.

But as it turns out, the longtime receiver didn't necessarily move to Baltimore for a purely-undefeated season of football, either. After a storied career that's he's decorated with All-Pro teams, endless highlight-worthy catches and playoff runs, he looked to prioritize building his friendships entering year 13.

"I'm very grateful for Lamar [Jackson]," Hopkins said following his most recent win in Cincinnati. "Lamar and I, we been wanting to play together for years, and a couple years ago I thought I was coming here, they decided to go another way. Lamar and I was like, 'Man, when the opportunity comes, we're gonna make it happen.

DeAndre Hopkins on Lamar Jackson and his first season as a Raven to date:

"I'm very grateful for Lamar. ... This offseason, I could've went to some different teams and got more money than I did here. But at this point in my career, I wanna play with somebody who I consider a… https://t.co/kP2DMQy1aS pic.twitter.com/EotGehReM0
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltim0re) December 14, 2025

"This offseason, I could've went to some different teams and got more money than I did here. But at this point in my career, I wanna play with somebody who I consider a friend off the field."

Relationships with the Ravens

Hopkins has tasted more personal glory than most in carving out a receiving career that'll require some real thought out of the Hall of Fame voting committee.

The former Houston Texans star spent the mid-late 2010s as arguably the best receiver in the sport, but even since transitioning into a veteran journeyman in recent years, he's never lost his world-class hands.

Baltimore Ravens Wide Receiver DeAndre Hopkins — Nov 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) catches a pass against the Minnesota Vikings cornerback Fabian Moreau (23) in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The steady presence that analysts figured would factor in to a semi-coaching role, but he's come through with some much-needed downfield reliability. Zay Flowers remains the top wide receiver on the Ravens' depth chart, and his penchant for drops and errors have contrasted comfortably with Hopkins' big play presence. Even though he only has 18 catches to his name in Baltimore, he's prevailed as Jackson's favorite pure-deep threat with a career-high 16.1 yards per reception.

Flowers made a few mistakes in that Bengals win, but he also staked a big return to the end zone for his first touchdown in three months, and Hopkins sounded proud of the receiver a decade his junior. "Me seeing Zay have one of his best careers [years], that gives me a joy," he said.

That willingness to sacrifice the usual-gaudy numbers to which he'd grown accustomed just to savor another year of NFL football next to players he admires is what makes Hopkins such a prized veteran. He's seen plenty across his travels, making it as far as the Super Bowl in his previous campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs, and though the Ravens offered a realistic gasp at one more winning situation, he's made a point to prioritize the relationships that fill the time between the snaps above all else.

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