It’s a big pay-day for Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins as he gets a five-year, $81 million contract with $49 million guaranteed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This deal keeps him locked into the H-Town quarterback carousel through 2022.
DeAndre Hopkins' new deal with Houston: 5 years, $81 million, including $49 million guaranteed, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 31, 2017
DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans Agree on Five-Year, $81 Million Deal
The Houston front office made a big move by signing their superstar pass catcher to a superstar-sized contract. Hopkins, now 25 years old, was on track to make just over $7.9 million in the final year of his rookie deal.
As a go-to target in an otherwise underwhelming receiving corps, Hopkins has consistently proven he can make it work with just about any quarterback available. He’s been thrown to by 11 different quarterbacks in his four years as a Texan receiver but still puts up the statistics that give the impression of just one throwing to him.
Before this deal was finalized, the most guaranteed money to a receiver was $35.5 million to the Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones. With this new deal of $49 million guaranteed that puts the Clemson product at the top of the league at his position. He’s got the play to back up talk, that is, if he did talk. Like former Houston stud wide-receiver Andre Johnson, Hop quietly goes out there, does his work, tears up some defensive-backs then walks off the field like nothing happened.
This recent financial activity from general manager Rick Smith, extending three other Houston Texans players in the last few hours, could symbolize a possible free-agent pick-up to fill the current void left by hold-out Duane Brown.
The Texans were originally scheduled to conclude their preseason against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. However, both teams agreed that cancelling the game was the best course of action in the wake of the devastation brought by Hurricane Harvey. Houston’s regular season opener takes place on September 10th against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
