LeGarrette Blount, Matthew Judon join in on recruiting DeAndre Hopkins to New England

An online campaign to bring free agent DeAndre Hopkins to New England is gaining steam this week. After one Twitter user posted a screenshot of a direct message he sent to Hopkins offering the former Cardinals receiver $500 to the charity of his choice if he would sign with the Patriots, several Patriots players jumped on board with the effort.

Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon replied to the initial tweet and tagged Hopkins to let him know he’d match the $500 donation.

Former star running back and three-time Super Bowl champion LeGarrette Blount responded, ‘I’ll match that as well,” tagging Judon and Hopkins.

I’ll match that as well @man_dammn @DeAndreHopkins https://t.co/y35pzQ1dDM

— LeGarrette Blount (@LG_Blount) June 11, 2023

Hopkins is fresh off of a visit to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Next on his quest to find a new home is New England. He’s set to visit this week, and now he has a hefty charity donation to think about as he weighs his options.

Patriots players aren’t the only ones getting active in their recruitment of “Nuk.”

Titans, Patriots players active in Hopkins recruitment

Former first-round draft pick Jeffrey Simmons shared his pitch for Hopkins and why the Titans would love to land the veteran receiver for the 2023 season.

“It’s crazy because I didn’t know until today, of course, I already sent the DM, like, ‘Come on with it, you already know what’s up,’” Simmons said on NFL Today. “I know the type of player he is, getting ready to play against him, watching the film, ‘DeAndre Hopkins, DeAndre Hopkins, that’s the guy we gotta stop.’ Everyone has a loot of respect for DeAndre Hopkins, he’s been around the game for a long time.

“His play-making ability, his leadership, the type of teammate he is, that’s why everybody wants him on their team. We’d love to have him on our team, not to rebuild, but to help us win this year.”

Hopkins has the advantage of familiarity with key members of both teams. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was an assistant in Houston early on in Hopkins’ NFL career when he played for the Texans. Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien was his head coach in Houston for several seasons as well – some of his most productive seasons, too.

Despite his age, at 31 years old, Hopkins is still capable of producing at a WR1 level. He had 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. However, he will benefit from a strong supporting cast. Neither Mac Jones or Ryan Tannehill are considered among the NFL’s elite going into the season but both could use his veteran presence.