NFL Analyst Suggests How Mac Jones Reacted To DeAndre Hopkins Deal

With a potential make-or-break season on the horizon, Mac Jones might not have been pleased with the Patriots’ latest roster decision.

New England elected not to sign DeAndre Hopkins, who the franchise reportedly immediately started courting following his release from the Arizona Cardinals in late May. The Patriots were one of the two teams Hopkins visited as a free agent, but New England ultimately issued an offer that wasn’t as competitive as Tennessee’s. Hopkins reportedly will join the Titans on a two-year contract worth up to $32 million, with a good chunk of that sum tied into incentives.

Tennessee arguably needed Hopkins more than New England, but with plenty of cap space available, the Patriots seemingly could have signed the five-time Pro Bowl selection if they really wanted him. Thus, ESPN’s Louis Riddick believes Jones shouldn’t be thrilled with Bill Belichick and company’s verdict.

“So if I’m Mac Jones, I’m going, ‘Thanks for Bill O’Brien coming here, at least now I have some semblance of normalcy as far as who’s speaking in my ear, but I still don’t have the weapons I need,’ and I just think it’s not going to end well.” Riddick said Monday on “NFL Live,” as transcribed by Boston.com.

Jones in June admitted he would “love” to be teammates with Hopkins, who exceeded 1,100 receiving yards in six of the eight full NFL seasons he’s played to date. That said, all accounts indicate the third-year signal-caller has a great deal of faith in New England’s current wideout group, which includes the likes of Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, DeVante Parker and newcomer JuJu Smith-Schuster.

But even if Jones is shaky about the Patriots’ pass-catching corps, it doesn’t really matter. The 2021 first-round pick will have to work with what he has and prove his worth this season.