This offseason the Tennessee Titans improved their organization by hiring an offensive minded head coach in Brian Callahan. The 40-year-old first year leader of the Titans will have many options on offense, especially with the recent additions such as veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley, running back Tony Pollard, and center Lloyd Cushenberry. One name in particular that has not received a lot of attention is DeAndre Hopkins, who will be in his second season with the team.

Hopkins over the last decade in the NFL has proven that he can be a difference maker on offense. His ability to run crisp routes, catch anything coming to him, and putting up numbers despite not having a franchise quarterback throughout his entire career, is something worth noting. In fact, Hopkins’ rookie season in 2013 had the likes of an aging Matt Schaub as the team’s signal caller along with Case Keenum and T.J Yates as the backup quarterbacks. The team finished with a 2-14 record and the Clemson product finished his rookie campaign with respectable numbers playing in all sixteen games and catching 52 receptions for 802 yards and two touchdowns, despite poor quarterback play.

Everyone understands that Hopkins produced at an extremely high level for over a decade, the question that has come into play recently is if he is running out of gas and his production is slowly decreasing. While it may seem normal for a wide receiver who has been in the league for 11 years to slow down; however, I am going to make the case that Hopkins can thrive despite the recent skepticism amongst fans and analysts.

Last year, the Titans turned the keys over to rookie quarterback Will Levis, who in his second start against the Pittsburgh Steelers played extremely well. At one point in the game I mentioned how poised and confident Levis was playing and how he even showed more growth in his second game starting than Kenny Pickett did in one full season. Levis continued to play well and with him starting, Hopkins shined and helped the offense get out of the dry spell that plagued them earlier in the season.

Consistency has been the name of the game for Hopkins as he has stayed relatively healthy throughout his entire NFL career. He finished 2023 with 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. Prior to this, the last time he went over 1,000 yards was in 2020 with the Arizona Cardinals (1,407).

Why Hopkins Can Thrive: 

Despite finally receiving over 1,000 yards for the first time in over three full seasons, the media and fans quickly seem to think Hopkins can no longer produce. This is flat out wrong and if anything, he is only just beginning with the Titans. He is in a contract year after signing a two-year contract in July 2023. This is a make-it year for Hopkins as he will be looking to stay with the franchise and secure a long-term contract extension.

With the addition of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, Hopkins will not see as many double teams and/or bracket coverage as he saw last season. Ridley’s presence on the outside as the true X receiver will help Hopkins’ case. Boyd will most likely be a slot receiver for Callahan’s offense, just like he utilized him with the Bengals. These two offensive players will instantly help Hopkins thrive despite the mention of a potential slow down.

We have not even begun to mention the pair of running backs in Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, who will establish a strong running game that will open up the play action pass. Opening this up will get all of the receivers involved, especially Hopkins, who already has a strong deep ball connection with Levis.

The pieces seem to be there for Hopkins to thrive in 2024. He has a new offensive minded head coach and play-caller, he is coming off a 1,000 yard plus season, he will benefit from an updated receiver room with a stud in Ridley, and a strong running game will establish the play action passing attack in which he and Levis are already familiar with. If everyone can stay healthy, the 32-year-old should be an impact player and most definitely still has gas left in his tank.