The viral video showing an on-field embrace between Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins prompted many to believe the veteran wideout would be interested in playing for New England.
It was one of the first things Patriots fans pointed to when Hopkins first was mentioned in trade speculation at the beginning of the NFL offseason. Hopkins, however, seemed to share a different perspective in a more recent video.
During an exercise for CBS Sports' “All Things Covered” podcast, Hopkins was asked to use his body language to indicate how he would feel about being traded to a specific team. Hopkins' nonverbal reaction to the Patriots and New York Jets was far different than his reaction to the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
While arguably no team initially was linked to Hopkins more than the Patriots, recent reports have indicated it's less likely New England pursues him unless there's some sort of change in Arizona's trade demands or Hopkins' finances.
Perhaps Hopkins doesn't view that as a negative development, though some Patriots fans who were hoping New England lands a top receiver surely do.
