DeAndre Hopkins Not Ready To Crown Deshaun Watson
By Erik Lambert
Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins isn’t afraid to speak his mind. One could say he’s earned it after the past few seasons.
Especially given some of the quarterbacks the team had throwing the football to him. Brock Osweiler certainly felt like a low point. He’s probably the best receiver in the NFL to play with the worst quarterbacks. Odell Beckham has Eli Manning. Antonio Brown has Ben Roethlisberger. Mike Evans has Jameis Winston. Even Larry Fitzgerald and A.J. Green have Pro Bowl QBs. Hopkins can’t say the same and that has to be frustrating.
So it’s not overly surprising that he gave a candid answer to Dan Graziano of ESPN when asked who he felt should start for the Texans this season. Veteran former backup Tom Savage or shiny new rookie sensation Deshaun Watson?
"“If anybody should be a judge of quarterbacks, I’ve played with the most quarterbacks in NFL history throughout my first four years,” DeAndre Hopkins said after practice Friday. “So I put the stamp on Savage, and I think that’s all that needs to be said about that.I’ve played with at least 10 quarterbacks,” Hopkins said. “So because of what [Savage] does well and what he can do for this team, I know he can help us win what we want to win. He does everything well. He’s a student of the game, from just being on the bench, watching and learning from other people’s mistakes, seeing what they’ve done wrong. He can put the ball in any place. He has a strong arm. He has a knowledge of this offense. He’s been in this offense his whole career.”"
Hopkins clearly uninterested in the long-term outlook
One can understand how he feels. The Texans look like a team that’s ready to win now. Their defense was the best in the NFL last year and will be even better with the return of J.J. Watt. All the offense has to do is be slightly above average as a compliment in order to win games and they can make a run at the Super Bowl. It’s been done before. Ask the 2002 Buccaneers or 2000 Ravens. Great defenses can carry average quarterbacks to a championship.
They can’t carry rookies to one. Contrary to what people want to say about Watson, rookies don’t win Super Bowls. It’s never happened in 51 years. There’s no reason to think it will change with Watson. Yes he was great at Clemson but it’s going to be a steep learning curve against NFL speed. Savage may not be a star, but he’s experienced, smart and paid his dues.
That’s enough for Hopkins.