What Bill Belichick Said About DeAndre Hopkins Joining Titans

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Patriots fans still might be broken up over DeAndre Hopkins signing with the Titans, but Bill Belichick has moved on.

New England's head coach was asked Tuesday morning about Hopkins, who recently rejected the Patriots in favor of signing a two-year contract with Tennessee. The Patriots at multiple points this offseason were viewed as the favorites to land the star receiver but ultimately lost out on adding a player who could've transformed their offense.

"We talked to a number of players from the middle of June until now," Belichick said in a clear attempt to downplay his pursuit of Hopkins. "Talking to other players now. So, you know, there's a lot of roster movement at this time of year."

But was Belichick disappointed upon learning Hopkins will play for Mike Vrabel and company?

"It's like hundreds of other players we deal with over the course of the year," Belichick said a day before the Patriots' first training camp practice. "We have so many roster spots. Some sign here, some sign somewhere else. When there's an agreement, there's an agreement. When there's not, there's 31 other teams."

With the Hopkins saga now over, New England will enter training camp with a receiver group loaded with both talent and question marks. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker all project as roster locks, but multiple players will battle for the final spot on the depth chart.

One name you can add to that group: former San Francisco 49er Jalen Hurd, who joined the Patriots on Monday after being out of football since 2021.