The New England Patriots are so desperate for a No. 1 receiver that a video of coach Bill Belichick and Arizona Cardinals star wideout DeAndre Hopkins chatting on Monday night has fans losing their minds.
It was obviously just a friendly conversation between competitors with absolutely nothing to do with joining forces. Belichick clearly admires the fact that Hopkins was suspended for nearly half the season, and he’s still within reach of a 1,000-yard year.
Meanwhile, Hopkins was simply showing love for the second-winningest coach in NFL history. Just a mutual sideline chit-chat caught by the “Hard Knock” cameras—nothing more, nothing less.
You be the judge.
"I'm glad we only have to play you every four years."
The respect Bill Belichick has for @DeAndreHopkins 🙌#HardKnocks @AZCardinals — tonight 10pm ET on @HBOMax pic.twitter.com/ocdqJYsmXb
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2022
Of course, that didn’t stop fans from jumping on social media and pushing for the Patriots to make a move to get the All-Pro receiver.
It’s no secret that an elite player like Hopkins would fix a lot of the wrongs with the offense, assuming New England hires a legitimate offensive coordinator in the offseason. He could help rewrite the narrative surrounding Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, while giving Belichick a key offensive weapon to possibly make his first Super Bowl run without Tom Brady.