Maybe the idea of Bill O’Brien and DeAndre Hopkins reuniting in Foxborough isn’t so far-fetched.
In a recent interview with MassLive’s Mark Daniels, ex-Texans receiver coach John Perry, who coached Hopkins during his final two seasons with the team, said he thinks the two of them would be able to co-exist.
“I think adult relationships are always complicated no matter what you do,” said Perry. “But the thing is when you look at DeAndre Hopkins and his relationship with Coach O’Brien, both of them brought out the best in each other. I still have a strong relationship with Coach [O’Brien] and with DeAndre. He and I speak all the time.
The Patriots have been loosely linked to Hopkins for some time, especially given Bill Belichick’s reverence for the five-time Pro Bowler.
However, O’Brien’s rocky relationship with Hopkins in Houston could stand in the way. O’Brien traded Hopkins to the Cardinals in March 2020 for running back David Johnson and a fourth-round pick. The deal was rightfully mocked as one of the worst in recent NFL history.
In the trade’s aftermath, Hopkins told Sports Illustrated he has “no relationship” with O’Brien. It was also reported that O’Brien compared Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez, who was convicted of murder and committed suicide in prison.
As one could imagine, Hopkins probably didn’t take too kindly to that.
But Perry, who’s currently the offensive coordinator at Lamar University, says he thinks the two would be able to work together and move forward.
“I know they would easily be able to work together again because they’re both professionals and both want the same thing, which is just to play at a high level and give their team the best opportunity to win,” he said.
Despite their apparent differences, Hopkins achieved great success under O’Brien, making four Pro Bowls in five seasons.
At 30 years old, Hopkins isn’t the breakout player he once was, but he’s still an impactful wideout. He finished with 64 catches for 717 yards and three touchdowns in nine games last season with the Cardinals.
The Patriots would certainly welcome that. The question is, would O’Brien welcome Hopkins?