DeAndre Hopkins Drawing Trade Interest
Although the Titans picked up their first win Monday night, they are 1-3 and in the first months of Brian Callahan‘s HC tenure. Callahan was not in Tennessee when the team won the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes last summer, and the accomplished wide receiver is in the second season of a two-year contract.
Naturally, Hopkins would be of interest to teams looking for help at the position. And interest is starting to pick up, with the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora reporting teams are starting to gather intel on Hopkins ahead of the trade deadline.
With Hopkins in his age-32 season, clubs are determining how much he has left to offer, La Canfora adds. Despite coming to Tennessee after an injury-prone Arizona tenure, Hopkins moved past 1,000 yards last season — his seventh year in four-digit territory. He accumulated 1,057 yards and scored seven touchdowns, helping Will Levis show flashes during an inconsistent rookie season. Thus far this season, the 12th-year veteran has 10 receptions for 121 yards and one touchdown. Though, Hopkins did miss several weeks due to a knee injury this summer.
The Titans may still be interested in having Hopkins help Levis develop, as the team — despite winning Monday with Mason Rudolph at the helm — is still committed to the second-year QB. Tennessee threw considerable resources into bolstering its offense to determine Levis’ long-term viability this offseason, adding the likes of Lloyd Cushenberry, JC Latham and Tony Pollard. This effort also included a big-ticket Calvin Ridley deal and a one-year Tyler Boyd accord. With underachieving former first-rounder Treylon Burks still rostered, the Titans have a Hopkins replacement ready — if they deem an offer worthwhile.
Hopkins would not qualify as a player who would draw a Davante Adams-level offer, and the Jaguars putting Christian Kirk on the table would also likely fetch a higher price (Kirk is 28 and is signed through 2025). Hopkins profiles as a classic rental. The Titans stood down on interest in rental pieces like Derrick Henry and Denico Autry last year, with the team also holding onto Hopkins despite interest emerging. But the Titans are still in rebuilding mode. Of course, it was later reported Carthon was overruled on moving Henry last year. Carthon denied this, but the second-year GM — post-Mike Vrabel — now has full control. It would make sense for them to listen, especially with Burks rostered.
The Chiefs and Bills discussed Hopkins with the Cardinals last year, but the contract the Ravens gave Odell Beckham Jr. dissuaded the former first-team All-Pro from being amenable to taking a pay cut to facilitate a trade. The Cardinals the released Hopkins. Despite offers from the Patriots and Chiefs, Hopkins wound up in Nashville. He said earlier this year he would like to finish his career there, but a reasonable trade proposal could change that.
It would stand to reason Buffalo and Kansas City would be interested, having done extensive work on Hopkins last year. The Bills did not appear finalists for Hopkins when his free agency concluded, but the Chiefs were. Kansas City also is almost definitely not acquiring Adams, as the Raiders are unlikely to entertain dealing their top receiver to the best team in their own division. Other suitors — like the Steelers and Ravens, to name two — figure to be interested. The teams who miss out on Adams will be looking into options like Hopkins, Kirk, Amari Cooper and Darius Slayton.
With the Titans in their bye week, Hopkins has more than $6MM left in base salary this season. The Titans could pay some of that to increase compensation, but that salary will factor into negotiations — if/once they end up taking place. While Adams will be the top WR piece in trade rumors before the November 5 deadline, Hopkins figures to become a key consolation prize.
Steelers To Be Active In Non-Davante Adams WR Market?
The Steelers are one of several teams which has been connected to a Davante Adams acquisition. The Raiders All-Pro wants to be dealt to the Jets, however, and other suitors such as the Saints (with quarterback Derek Carr and receivers coach Keith Williams) represent other attractive destinations.
Even if Pittsburgh does not wind up adding Adams over the coming weeks, though, the team could still be in the market for a wideout. ESPN’s Dan Graziano expects the Steelers to be a contender (albeit likely an outside one as things stand) for the six-time Pro Bowler in terms of pursuing a trade agreement. Other veterans could be on the team’s radar as the trade deadline approaches, though.
Graziano names DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk as wideouts who could be on the move over the coming weeks. The Titans and Jaguars have combined to win only one game in 2024, and both teams could be sellers in the build-up to the November 5 deadline. Sitting at 3-1 on the year, by contrast, the Steelers could be in the market for a veteran pass-catching addition if they can continue their strong start. Bringing in an accomplished receiver would also fit given how Pittsburgh’s offseason played out.
While replacing the entire quarterbacks room was the central element of how the spring played out for the Steelers, the team traded away Diontae Johnson and released Allen Robinson. That left a vacancy for a starting spot opposite George Pickens, and the team made a sustained push to acquire Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers standout vetoed the agreement Pittsburgh and San Francisco made to finalize a trade, ultimately remaining in the Bay Area. Since then, questions have loomed about the Steelers’ secondary WR options.
The likes of Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, Scotty Miller and third-round rookie Roman Wilson have handled depth WR roles so far. With Justin Fields leading the way, Pittsburgh has mainly relied on the ground game while ranking just 20th in passing yardage. Adding an accomplished receiver could add to the team’s offense, although finances would of course need to be taken into consideration.
Hopkins is a pending free agent as his current pact includes three void years. The 32-year-old is attached to a salary of $8.27MM, so an acquiring team would take on a prorated portion of that figure. Hopkins had a strong debut campaign in Tennessee (1,057 yards, seven touchdowns), although his usage has taken a downturn early in 2024. The former Texan and Cardinal could be moved if he were to remain healthy, especially given Tennessee’s long-term investment in Calvin Ridley this past offseason.
A teammate of Ridley’s in Jacksonville, Kirk delivered on his eyebrow-raising contract in 2022. The former second-rounder saw his production take a step back last season, though, one in which he was limited to 12 contests. Kirk, 27, had a slow start to the current campaign but has totaled 15 receptions over the past two games. He is owed the remainder of his $14.5MM salary in 2024; one year remains on his pact beyond that, but it does not include guarantees and carries a cap hit of over $24MM. An adjustment upon arrival or in the spring would thus be required for an acquiring team to commit to a Kirk trade.
With roughly $10.5MM in cap space, the Steelers sit mid-pack in terms of financial flexibility at the moment. A move aimed at adding a veteran receiver could be feasible (especially later in the year, as the remaining salary on players’ deals decrease), but it will be interesting to see if general manager Omar Khan significantly changes the team’s roster if Pittsburgh continues to find success with the current offensive setup.
Chiefs Considering WR Acquisition?
With Rashee Rice potentially out for the season and Marquise Brown sidelined until at least the playoffs, the Chiefs may have to look for outside help at wide receiver. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport expects the Chiefs to “go out and look at options” at the position, with a trade being “at least” in consideration.
[RELATED: Chiefs Fear ACL Tear For WR Rashee Rice]
Rapoport notes that the Chiefs front office is generally “open minded” and considers every opportunity as they look to plug holes, so a trade would surely be a logical route for the WR-needy squad. Rapoport points to the team’s sudden acquisition of Kadarius Toney in 2022, which came as the organization was navigating a post-Tyreek Hill era.
One potential name that Rapoport points to is Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The Titans are currently 0-3, and if they continue going the wrong way in the standings, there’s a good chance the veteran wideout will be available at the trade deadline. Rapoport also notes that popular trade candidate Amari Cooper could fit the Chiefs payroll thanks to his low base salary, but the reporter rejects the idea of Jaguars wideout Christian Kirk fitting into the cap sheet.
Rookie first-round WR Xavier Worthy got into a career-high 45 snaps yesterday and will likely join Travis Kelce as one of Patrick Mahomes‘ preferred targets moving forward. The team has also leaned on the likes of Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster for about half of their offensive snaps through the first month of the season, and Skyy Moore and Mecole Hardman got extended cameos yesterday after Rice was knocked out of the game. Rapoport notes that Brown could return to the Chiefs in time for the postseason, but it’s unlikely the offense will be hanging their hopes on the injured receiver.
As for Rice, Josina Anderson reports that the receiver is seeking “at least” a second opinion on his injured knee in an attempt to “gather additional information.” The Chiefs have also discussed “potential windows for surgery.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that there “remains uncertainty” surrounding the extend of Rice’s injury, and more tests will be required before the team can set a definitive timetable.
DeAndre Hopkins To Miss Up To Six Weeks
AUGUST 3: Callahan provided some updates on Hopkins’ situation today. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, Hopkins knee injury will not require surgery. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that Callahan confirmed that Hopkins is out for “several weeks,” but with the absence of surgery, a return in only four weeks could be likely, though it’s not guaranteed. This encourages the optimism that Hopkins’ malady won’t keep him from any regular season appearances.
AUGUST 1: After a productive debut in Tennessee, DeAndre Hopkins looks set to see his preparation for his second season end early. The former All-Pro wide receiver is expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury.
Hopkins sustained a strained knee during practice this week, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky, who indicates a four- to six-week absence is on tap. Week 1 will occur during this timeline, making Hopkins’ recovery one to monitor. ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport confirms the Titans are optimistic about Hopkins avoiding any missed games.
Although the Titans added Calvin Ridley on a big-ticket deal and signed former Brian Callahan Bengals charge Tyler Boyd, they are still counting on Hopkins to play a key role. The late-2010s first-team All-Pro staple produced his seventh 1,000-yard season with the Titans in 2023, continuing to make a solid Hall of Fame case. If this injury timetable is accurate, the accomplished wideout has a change to re-emerge just before Week 1.
This is not the first time Hopkins has run into knee trouble. An MCL tear knocked him out for an extended stretch during the Cardinals’ 2021 playoff season; Hopkins missed seven games that year and was unavailable for Arizona’s wild-card contest. He then missed the final two Cardinals games in 2022 due to a knee flareup.
Arizona, which hired a new regime headed by ex-Tennessee exec Monti Ossenfort soon after, released Hopkins months later. The former Texans star did rebound in his Titans debut, but his recent history of knee issues is suddenly relevant again. That said, Davenport adds this is a left knee injury; Hopkins sustained the MCL tear to his right knee. Hopkins continued to practice with a wrap on his left knee Wednesday, per Davenport, but it appears the Titans did not like what they saw and are shutting him down.
As the Titans’ top wideout last season, Hopkins bounced back by playing in all 17 games and totaling 1,057 yards — his first 1,000-yard year since 2020. Operating as a key part of Will Levis‘ development, Hopkins caught seven touchdown passes. The Titans paid up to add help via Ridley, and Boyd played under Callahan for five of his eight Bengals seasons. The Titans also have 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks, who appears poised to see some run with the first unit while Hopkins recovers. This could represent a key opportunity for Burks, who has underwhelmed since Jon Robinson chose him minutes after the A.J. Brown trade.
The Titans have Hopkins on a two-year, $26MM deal; they outbid the Patriots and Chiefs for the veteran — after a much-discussed free agency derby — last summer. He earned a $4.1MM roster bonus by remaining a Titan on Day 5 of the 2024 league year.
Tennessee’s new coaching staff is heavily invested in Ridley, but Hopkins remains a key part of the franchise’s Levis development. Hopkins spoke earlier this month on an interest in signing a second Titans contract, expressing his satisfaction since joining the organization. His next step will be to return by the time the Titans are preparing to face the Bears in September.
DeAndre Hopkins Addresses Future With Titans
After the Cardinals released him in May 2023, five-time Pro Bowl wideout DeAndre Hopkins remained unsigned for nearly two months. While he garnered plenty of interest, he later acknowledged that his market did not develop as expected in terms of the value of the offers he received, and he ultimately signed a two-year, $26MM contract with the Titans last July.
Prior to last year’s trade deadline, outside interest in Hopkins was reportedly limited, as he had struggled to make much of an impact in the Ryan Tannehill-piloted offense, and other clubs were reluctant to take on the balance of the receiver’s contract. When big-armed rookie Will Levis took over for Tannehill, Hopkins began to find his footing, and while he still slogged through some underwhelming games from a statistical standpoint, he ultimately finished his first Tennessee campaign with 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven TDs. His 14.4 yards-per-reception rate was his highest mark since 2017, when he was a First Team All-Pro with the Texans.
It is reasonable to expect an improvement on that showing in 2024, as the Titans have made a concerted effort to support Levis and take pressure off of Hopkins. The club signed Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd this offseason, and while Treylon Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine remain on the roster (for now), they will not be relied on as heavily as they were in 2023 given the quality of the offseason additions. Those maneuvers, along with expected growth from Levis, could help Hopkins land another big-money deal in the near future, even though he turned 32 in June.
If he had his druthers, Hopkins would prefer that his next contract come from the Titans. During his media availability at training camp last week, Hopkins spoke about owner Amy Adams Strunk and the franchise as a while.
“I love Tennessee, and I love what Miss Amy is doing,” Hopkins said (via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website). “I think this is the happiest I’ve been in any organization, so let that speak for itself. (I like) how Miss Amy runs things. It’s a great place to be. She is putting pieces together to try and win, and it’s exciting.”
It does not sound as if negotiations between player and team have taken place, though there have been some internal discussions among Tennessee decision-makers.
“He’s one of the guys that’s on our team, and we’ve talked about a number of guys on the team to have those conversations,” GM Ran Carthon said of Hopkins. “And so D Hop knows how we feel about him, and I think that’s a big thing, especially for a veteran at this stage of his career. I think the way he’s shown up here, the way he’s bought into a new staff, kind of shows how he feels about us and what we have going.”
Obviously, those comments do not make it sound as if a new deal is imminent, and Carthon may wait until the 2025 offseason to evaluate Hopkins’ future with the team. Still, it appears that the club has reciprocated, at least to some degree, Hopkins’ interest in extending the relationship.
Due to the void years present in Hopkins’ current contract, the Titans would be saddled with a roughly $6MM dead money charge if they do not re-sign him.
NFL Active Leaders In Career Earnings
Kirk Cousins‘ four-year, $180MM deal with the Falcons this season vaulted him up the list of active career earners. This was by virtue of his $50MM signing bonus, adding to the more than $231MM he earned from the Commanders and (mostly) the Vikings throughout his career. Even under the worst-case scenario, Cousins will still see at least another $50MM come his way via his contract with Atlanta, which would push his career earnings north of $331MM.
While the soon-to-be 36-year-old Cousins will surely see a significant portion of the $80MM worth of unguaranteed money on his contract, he’ll still be hard pressed to catch Aaron Rodgers on the career-earnings list. Rodgers earned more than $306MM during his long tenure in Green Bay, and he’s already made close to $37MM during his one season in New York (mostly via the $35MM signing bonus on his reworked pact).
With at least $40MM of additional guarantees coming his way from the Jets, Rodgers will continue to grow his lead as the highest-earning NFL player of all time. Both Rodgers and Matthew Stafford were able to leap Tom Brady among the NFL’s highest all-time earners over the past year.
With all that said, we’ve listed the 25 active players who have earned the most money in their NFL careers (h/t to OverTheCap.com). While this list is up to date, it doesn’t account for soon-to-realized salaries for the 2024 campaign. This list is also solely focused on NFL cash and does not include off-the-field earnings:
- QB Aaron Rodgers: $343MM
- QB Matthew Stafford: $328MM
- QB Russell Wilson: $305MM
- QB Kirk Cousins: $281MM
- QB Jared Goff: $234MM
- LB Von Miller: $179MM
- QB Joe Flacco: $177MM
- OT Trent Williams: $171MM
- QB Derek Carr: $165MM
- LB Khalil Mack: $162MM
- QB Dak Prescott: $161MM
- DL Aaron Donald: $157MM
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo: $150MM
- DE Calais Campbell: $143MM
- QB Deshaun Watson: $142MM
- QB Patrick Mahomes: $136MM
- DE Joey Bosa: $134MM
- DL Leonard Williams: $134MM
- WR Mike Evans: $132MM
- QB Carson Wentz: $130MM
- WR DeAndre Hopkins: $128MM
- WR Stefon Diggs: $126MM
- DE Cameron Jordan: $126MM
- OT Lane Johnson: $121MM
- DT Chris Jones: $120MM
Titans Listening To Offers On Contract-Year Players; Ravens Still In On Derrick Henry?
The Titans’ chances of trading Derrick Henry took a major hit today. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, the deadline passed for the running back to restructure his contract ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline. As a result, any suitor would have to take on the remaining $5.5MM on Henry’s deal, leading one source to tell Schefter that they don’t “think a trade’s going to happen.”
[RELATED: Latest On Titans, Derrick Henry]
While Tennessee’s inability to reduce Henry’s cap hit will surely impact their ability to trade the star running back, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com writes that teams remain in the hunt, including a pair of previously-reported suitors. Per Pauline, the Ravens are still the “leaders in the clubhouse,” while the Cowboys linger as a “dark horse.”
While both Baltimore and Dallas would be happy to add Henry to their running back corps, compensation remains a main sticking point, according to Pauline. The reporter believes the Titans couldn’t do better than a fourth-round pick, and Pauline opines that Tennessee’s ownership would never approve such a deal. So, if there’s any hope that Henry gets traded before tomorrow’s deadline, it’s going to require one of the Titans or a potential suitor to blink.
While much of the attention in Tennessee has been focused on Henry, there are a handful of additional trade candidates on the Titans roster. Albert Breer of SI.com says defensive linemen Teair Tart and Denico Autry are “the more likely candidates to be moved” before tomorrow’s deadline, with the reporter also noting the smoke surrounding DeAndre Hopkins.
Tart has spent his entire four-year career in Tennessee, going from UDFA to full-time starter. After starting all 16 of his appearances in 2022 , he’s started four of his five games this year, collecting 11 tackles, three tackles for loss, and three QB hits. Autry signed a three-year, $21.5MM deal with the Titans in 2021 and has started 25 of his 36 appearances for the organization, including six starts this season.
Latest On Titans, Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry is one of many high-profile names which has been included in trade talk ahead of the upcoming deadline. For the time being, though, it appears likely the Titans’ All-Pro back will remain in place. 
While the Titans are still open to the notion of moving the two-time rushing champion, they have informed Henry of their intention to retain him, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Henry has been floated as a trade candidate given his status as a pending free agent and the Titans’ status as expected sellers in the coming days (as forecasted by the Kevin Byard trade).
Dianna Russini of The Athletic confirms (subscription required) that Tennessee – now led by general manager Ran Carthon – would only give serious consideration to a Henry trade in the event of an “exceptional offer” being made. Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com stop short of saying that it will take an “exceptional offer” to land Henry, though they do confirm that an interested team will need to pony up more than the mid-round pick it would normally cost to acquire a star player on an expiring, above-minimum contract at the deadline. While teams have called about the Titans’ trade chips (a group which includes, but is not limited to, the three-time Pro Bowler), both the ESPN and Athletic reports state the Cowboys have not made an offer for him.
Dallas – along with Baltimore – was named as an interested party for Henry earlier this week. The former Offensive Player of the Year would give both the Cowboys and Ravens a considerable boost in the ground game, but a deal involving either team (or, in all likelihood, any other one) would depend on the Titans’ willingness to eat some of Henry’s remaining salary. The final year of his pact carries a $10.5MM salary, but his new club would be responsible for roughly half that amount if a trade were to be worked out.
Today’s updates come after a report emerged at the beginning of the week stating the Titans were not willing to consider 2023 a write-off and actively look to move players like Henry and wideout DeAndre Hopkins (in part due to the lack of healthy market for either veteran). Indeed, Russini notes that both Henry and Hopkins are on track to remain in Nashville through the October 31 deadline.
The former has an underwhelming 4.3 yards per carry average in 2023, though the Titans’ O-line and the rest of its offense has underperformed to date. Nearing his 30th birthday, however, Henry is in serious danger of seeing his free agent value take a signficant step back given the nature of the RB market as a whole. A move to a contending team could boost his prospects in free agency, but it would come as a surprise at this point if one were to materialize.
Titans Unlikely To Trade Derrick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins
The Titans are currently 2-4 and may be without starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill for their last contest before the October 31 trade deadline (they have a bye this week and face the Falcons on October 29). They clearly profile as potential deadline sellers, but head coach Mike Vrabel is not throwing in the towel on the 2023 season, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.
As such, Tennessee is not motivated to trade star running back Derrick Henry, as Robinson reports. While there is obvious concern about how many carries Henry has accumulated over the past few years, the two-time rushing leader has trade value. He still has some burst and is maintaing a solid 4.3 yards-per-carry average this season, and it is fair to expect that he will remain productive for the rest of the campaign.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic, though, has not found a team with much interest in Henry (subscription required). Perhaps that is because of his high usage rate and the fact that he is less than three months away from his 30th birthday, or perhaps it is simply because rival execs do not believe the Titans will seriously consider trading the longtime focal point of their offense. In any event, it presently appears likely that Henry will stay in Nashville through at least the end of the current season.
Likewise, it seems that wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will stay put. Robinson has spoken to a few receiver-needy clubs, and he does not get the sense that Tennessee will be able to get much of a return in a Hopkins trade. The three-time First Team All-Pro made plenty of PFR headlines during his free agency stint this year, though he later conceded that his market did not develop as he expected after he was released by the Cardinals in May. He ultimately joined the Titans on a two-year, $26MM deal, and it does not sound as if other clubs are anxious to take on the balance of that contract. Through six games in 2023, Hopkins has 27 catches on 47 targets for 376 yards. He has yet to find the endzone.
As opposed to his veteran teammates on the offensive side of the ball, safety Kevin Byard is receiving trade interest, per Russini. However, Robinson does not believe Byard would fetch anything more than a late-round pick, and assuming that’s the case, the Titans would be better served by keeping him in the fold.
Wideout Treylon Burks, a 2022 first-round pick who was supposed to help replace A.J. Brown‘s production, has also been the subject of trade inquiries, as Russini writes. Unsurprisingly, the Titans are not inclined to move any young player, let alone a player who was taken on Day 1 of the draft just one year ago.
DeAndre Hopkins Discusses Free Agency, Contract Demands, Signing With Titans
When DeAndre Hopkins was cut by the Cardinals, a number of suitors were expected to emerge. Instead, the veteran wideout only drew serious interest from the Titans and Patriots, with Hopkins ultimately signing a two-year, $26MM with Tennessee.
[RELATED: Titans Sign DeAndre Hopkins]
In a conversation with Clay Skipper of GQ, Hopkins acknowledged that his free agent market didn’t shake out as expected, with the receiver admitting that “there were some teams that I had on my list that I gave them calls and they didn’t give a call back.” What specific teams spurned the veteran?
“Detroit Lions, they didn’t want me,” Hopkins said. “Dallas Cowboys didn’t want me. Giants didn’t want me. S***. Who else ain’t want me? San Fran ain’t want me.”
Besides the Titans and Patriots, the only teams that were definitively connected to Hopkins were the Bills and Chiefs, although it sounds like interest dropped from those potential suitors once they learned of the receiver’s asking price. Still, Hopkins told Skipper that both Buffalo and Kansas City did call when he hit free agency.
The Lions, Cowboys, Giants, and 49ers also may have been wary of the player’s financial demands, but Hopkins hinted that those organization may have passed him over because of his age. Still, the receiver did acknowledge that money partly played a role in him landing in Tennessee.
“You have to know your value and have some level of respect for who you are as a human being,” he says. “Is the possibility of you going somewhere who is a Super Bowl-caliber team, on paper, is that worth you being paid minimum? It doesn’t add up.”
The Cowboys and 49ers have deep receiver crews, so it’s not a huge surprise that those squads didn’t give a long look at Hopkins. The Lions could use a wideout behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, while the Giants don’t have a clear WR1 atop their depth chart.
Ultimately, Hopkins landed in Tennessee, where he’ll join a depth chart highlighted by 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks. Hopkins gave several reasons why he landed with the Titans, including head coach Mike Vrabel. However, the wideout revealed that one of his main reasons for signing with the organization had to do with the culture.
“I wouldn’t say it’s because of Arizona, the reason I came here, to have that 360 switch, but I would say it was definitely part of my decision to be somewhere that did have a winning culture, or a fighting culture,” Hopkins said.