Titans star DeAndre Hopkins isn't planning to let an MCL tear stop him from reaching his goals.
Star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is gearing up for his second year with the Tennessee Titans. The only problem is that Hopkins is coming back from a torn MCL.
However, the wide receiver is still confident in his ability to play in Week 1. He didn't have to undergo surgery for the injury and is expecting to be on the field when his Titans take on the Chicago Bears, via long-time Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky.
“I had the MCL tear maybe four and half, five weeks ago so the thing about those thing is it takes a whole year to heal,” Hopkins said. “Obviously, it's pain at that point.”
“Right now, the way I feel,” Hopkins continued, “hopefully I can get out there Sunday and perform.”
Hopkins suffered his knee injury back on July 31. After missing numerous weeks of practice time, he has been able to get in limited work in leading up to Week 1. Head coach Brian Callahan said he expected Hopkins to play back on Aug 18, via Turron Davenport of ESPN.
If he continues to practice, the wide receiver seems likely to suit up against the Bears. However, his injury could be a nagging issue throughout the year. It's certainly something that the Titans will approach cautious and continuously manage with Hopkins.
But Tennessee, DeAndre Hopkins and the world knows they have a better football team with him on the field. While they won't risk re-injury, Tennessee shares Hopkins' optimism about playing the season opener.
DeAndre Hopkins' Titans value
After committing to Will Levis as their quarterback, the Titans spent their offseason building the offense around him. Offensive lineman JC Latham was Tennessee's first round pick while Tony Pollard will now lead the backfield. Most importantly to Hopkins, both Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd will be joining him in the wide receiver room.
With more mouths to feed, it may be more difficult for Hopkins to make an impact. However, his debut with the Titans proved that the former All-Pro is able to adjust to his surroundings.
He led the team in receptions (75), yards (1,057) and touchdowns (seven). That was with a quarterback rotation shifting between Ryan Tannehill, Levis and occasionally Malik Willis. He did seem to show a solid connection with Levis at times, including a 10 catch, 46 yard, one touchdown performance in the season finally.
The first step for Hopkins and the Titans will simply be getting on the field. While he has plans to play through his MCL tear, it's a serious injury. With Tennessee hoping to make a playoff run, they can't afford to have Hopkins on the shelf for an extended period of time.
Still, the wide receiver has big goals for the 2024 campaign. He's expecting to begin his journey towards reaching them in Week 1.
