DeAndre Hopkins reportedly leaves Texans camp because he wants a new contract
And the Texans don't want to pay him with two years left on his rookie deal
By
Will Brinson
•
2 min read
Last year, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins emerged as one of the premier talents in the NFL at the position. Now he wants to be paid like it, and it's causing issues at Texans training camp.
According to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, Hopkins "has left camp" and there is a "holdout underway."
Schefter added Hopkins did not report at all (veterans reported at midnight Friday) and as a result is facing a $40,000 fine for each day he misses.
Last season Hopkins caught 111 passes for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns, remarkable numbers in a vacuum and even more remarkable numbers when you consider he was targeted a whopping 192 times by a group of quarterbacks that included Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden. In other words: don't lay too much of the blame on him for the other 81 passes.
The issue for Hopkins: He put himself in the conversation with the best wide receivers in the game, but is still being paid like a rookie.
He has one year remaining on his original contract and will be paid $2.4 million for the upcoming season. He also has a fifth-year option the Texans picked up that will pay him $7.9 million in 2017. It's the deal he signed and part of the new CBA, but clearly he's underpaid given his production.
However, as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle pointed out, it's uncommon for the Texans to re-do contracts with two years remaining (J.J. Watt being the lone exception because J.J. Watt is the lone exception to most things).
DeAndre Hopkins contract won't b redone with 2 years left. ESPN reporting he didn't report with vets. They reported at midnight.
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) July 30, 2016
Texans redo contracts with 1 year left. Only Watt did it with 2 left. Fines ncreased 2 40 grand per day 4 players under contract staying out
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) July 30, 2016
Hopkins' fifth-year option is guaranteed for injury only, so for practical purposes he's guaranteed just over $10 million. He's also a prime target for the franchise tag in the following year, which is paying the Bears Alshon Jeffery $14.5 million this season.
Compare that with the contracts netted recently by other high-end wide receivers and you can see the frustration for Hopkins. Dez Bryant of the Cowboys and Demaryius Thomas of the Broncos both signed nearly-identical deals last offseason, getting $70 million with more than $32 million guaranteed ($35 million for Bryant).
The real rub for Hopkins might be seeing the massive deal (more than $71 million with $35 million guaranteed) Julio Jones got last August. Jones has a longer history of production but has also been more injury prone. And Hopkins' averages during his first three seasons -- 80 catches, 1,178 yards and 6 touchdowns -- beats the average for Julio during his first four seasons -- 70 catches, 1,082 yards and 6 touchdowns.
If the Texans are going to hold fast to their stance on negotiating deals with two years left, this could get pretty contentious moving forward. Not having the best offensive player on the roster in tune with an offense that's completely revamped -- Brock Osweiler, Lamar Miller, Will Fuller and Braxton Miller are all shiny, new additions -- would be an issue for the Texans heading into a promising 2016 season.
