Five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will be a game-time decision on Sunday for the Tennessee Titans’ season opener in Chicago. He has been practicing this week as he recovers from a left knee injury he suffered on July 31.
Hopkins, who turned 32 in June, doesn’t see missing most of the preseason as a problem. “I played a lot of football, so it’s not a challenge,” Hopkins said.
He also dismissed speculation that he won’t play against the Bears, stating that his injury didn’t need surgery.
“I don’t watch reports,” Hopkins said. “I just go out and practice. So, I guess we’ll see Sunday.”
First-year coach Brian Callahan mentioned after Friday’s practice that the Titans are not concerned about Hopkins’ knee being an issue for the entire season or that it could be worse than initially thought.
The Titans will keep an eye on how much he plays, similar to how they would with any player who has missed a lot of practice.
“To ask a guy to go in there and play an entire game every snap is a tough ask,” Callahan said. “But, it’s funny what happens on game day sometimes and the adrenaline gets flowing and all of a sudden they say, ‘I’m good, man, let me play.’”
Hopkins, who played all 17 games last year with Tennessee, had a knee sleeve on Thursday but not during warmups on Friday. He praised the Titans for allowing him to take a unique approach to his recovery.
“This organization trusted me to go to California and rehab with some experienced people, with guys who deal with this injury all the time,” Hopkins said Thursday. “So you know, just taking it day by day. But I feel great.”
Callahan said Hopkins chose how he wanted to handle his recovery and stayed in regular contact with the Titans, especially with vice president of sports medicine Todd Toriscelli.
“We decided that a guy with as much experience as he has knows what he needs, so we let him get the treatment he thought was necessary to be ready for Week 1,” Callahan said.
“So it was pretty straightforward. And he did a great job of getting what he needed and wanted.”
Hopkins is the top receiver in the NFL’s most successful group this season when looking at total receptions (1,908) or receiving yards (24,654).
The Titans added Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd this offseason to join 2022 first-round picks Treylon Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
Rookie Jha’Quan Jackson, a sixth-round pick from Tulane, is the sixth receiver. His uncle is Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed.
The group is led by Hopkins, who is entering his 12th NFL season and second with Tennessee. He leads all active players with 928 receptions and 12,355 receiving yards since starting his career in 2013. Only Davante Adams (95) and Mike Evans (94) have more career touchdown catches than Hopkins, who has 78.
Hopkins is tied with Antonio Brown for 21st place in NFL history for career receptions. Chicago’s receiving group ranks third for total catches, fourth in receiving yards, and eighth in touchdown catches.
Hopkins feels positive energy with a team that is very different from last year’s Titans.
“Everyone has the same goal,” Hopkins said. “You know, people came from different teams, but you can’t tell that we haven’t played together for years and that’s a sign of a good football team.”
