Free Agent WR DeAndre Hopkins Visiting with Titans on Sunday

NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel has been consistent since the 2023 NFL draft in his belief the team still had options to improve the wide receiver group. Many speculated the Titans could take a run at recently-released wide receiver Deandre Hopkins, but we had yet to see any public connection between the two, until now.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Hopkins will visit the Titans on Sunday in Nashville. This is the first time the two sides have been linked together despite the obvious need the Titans have at Hopkins' position.

Free-agent WR DeAndre Hopkins is slated to fly to Nashville on Sunday for a visit with the #Titans, per sources.

D-Hop and Mike Vrabel were together in Houston. Now Vrabel’s team gets the first visit with Hopkins, the five-time Pro Bowl pick released by Arizona last month. pic.twitter.com/UUyUjLqa7Z
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 7, 2023

There is a personal connection to acknowledge as Hopkins did play for the Houston Texans while Vrabel was a defensive coach and while current Titans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly was an offensive assistant were coaches for the Texans.

That personal connection along with the opportunity to make money and get the ball could entice Hopkins into joining the Titans. Hopkins is rumored to be more interested in securing a solid pay day than taking a major discount to go to a perceived "Super Bowl Contender." That rumor appears to have some truth if Hopkins is giving the Titans a visit.

Also, the Titans can create a contract for Hopkins that is more lucrative than some of the top teams in the NFL like the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs. The Titans only currently have near $8 million in cap space, but a simple restructure or extension of one of the highest-paid players, like Ryan Tannehill or Derrick Henry or Kevin Byard, could quickly create the space the Titans would need.

Hopkins could also get a ton of targets. The Titans parted ways with Robert Woods and Austin Hooper in the offseason which opens up nearly 190 targets. While some of those will inevitably go to improving second-year players like Treylon Burks and Chig Okonkwo, Hopkins could have as many as he wanted.

Hopkins will be visiting other teams, but the Titans getting a visit at all confirms Hopkins is interested and that is great news for the fans.

The #Titans aren’t the only team in talks with DeAndre Hopkins. But the first visit shows there is mutual interest with Tennessee. More now on Inside Minicamps Live on NFL+ https://t.co/3Q2KcTzI1V https://t.co/QHOnEGo179
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 7, 2023