DeAndre Hopkins Set to Visit New England Patriots, 'No Animosity' with Pats OC Bill O'Brien Hard to Believe

The Tennessee Titans saw their visit with Deandre Hopkins end without an agreement. The Titans are hoping that is the case with Hopkins' visit with the Patriots as well.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans had a "successful" visit with free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins earlier this week, according to reports. Regardless of how successful it went, the Titans didn't seal the deal with a signed contract. Now, Hopkins is set to make his next visit with the New England Patriots on Wednesday and Thursday.

According to a tweet from ESPN's Dianna Russini, Hopkins' visit with the Patriots will take place the next two day. The more interesting part of the tweet was the tidbit about Hopkins relationship with his former head coach, Bill O'Brien.

DeAndre Hopkins is expected to visit with the Patriots later today and tomorrow morning, per sources.
For those who have raised some concerns about Pats offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and Hopkins past relationship in Houston, sources have shared there’s no animosity at all.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) June 14, 2023

Russini says here there is "no animosity" between Hopkins and O'Brien, but based on what has happened over the last few years, that is hard to believe. 

O'Brien was Hopkins coach from 2014 through 2019. While Hopkins and the Texans had success during that time, things took a turn for the worst once O'Brien assumed general manager duties in the 2020 offseason.

O'Brien trade Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals after their relationship deteriorated reportedly due to disrespectful comments O'Brien made to Hopkins. Michael Irvin quoted Hopkins on ESPN's Get Up in March of 2020 and shed some light on the situation.

.@michaelirvin88 shared shocking details surrounding the relationship problems between Bill O'Brien and DeAndre Hopkins. pic.twitter.com/mr33pvpfxC

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 18, 2020

O'Brien apparently did not like the influence Hopkins had on the locker room and how it clashed with his own. Not only that, but O'Brien reportedly had a meeting with Hopkins and compared him to former Patriot and convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez. According to Irvin, O'Brien also made disparaging comments about the mothers of Hopkins' children being around the facility too much.

Hopkins spoke publicly in 2020 with Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated and advised there was "no relationship" between him and O'Brien. Hopkins even said, "make sure you put that in there. There's not a lot to speak about."

Color me skeptical, but there is no way all of this between Hopkins and O'Brien is just water under the bridge now. Whether it's O'Brien or Hopkins, comments like these and the feelings that create them don't just disappear overnight. It may have been three years since these quotes surfaced, but nothing has happened since to mend the fence.

Hopkins will take his visit to New England and maybe the reports of no animosity between the two parties is true. But that is a tough sell, if you ask me and with O'Brien being the offensive coordinator in New England who will be working with Hopkins everyday, it is hard to see a reunion in the works.

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