Ryan Tannehill offers details on DeAndre Hopkins' recruitment to Titans

Ryan Tannehill helped recruit DeAndre Hopkins to the Titans. He did so as a leader of the team and because the veteran receiver will make his life so much easier this fall.

Hopkins, after considering the Patriots, announced for the Titans right before training camp started. He’s kept a low profile since then. About the only stir he created was when he clapped back that people didn’t think he participated in training camp. That was 11 days ago.

Tannehill appeared on NFL Network, Tuesday, to talk all things Titans. And he offered some behind-the-scenes details as to how Hopkins, a high-value free agent, made it to Nashville.

“Like everybody, I’m excited to get DeAndre here,” Ryan Tannehill said. “I was able to go out to dinner and I spent some time with him back, I don’t know, it was May or June, right, whenever this thing first started happening. And then I was communicating with him, checking in every week or two saying ‘hey, what’s going on and where are you?’ I was kind of along for the ride just like everybody else.

“But thankfully, we were able to add him to the group and he’s been a big addition.” the quarterback said. “There’s been a lot of the same things we’ve been talking about with everyone else. But we’ve seen some huge plays, vintage Hopkins that you’ve seen across his career of tight contested catches. And he’s able to elevate or, or make the extended catch. So as a quarterback, it’s been a lot of fun to find those areas where I can put the ball where only he can get it and then he’s making the point.”

Titans believe Hopkins will help with young receivers

The Titans really needed to elevate their passing game. The passing offense ranked 30th among 32 teams last season. Derrick Henry excelled, but Tennessee became too one-dimensional.

Besides Hopkins, the Titans also believe they’ve got two good, young receivers who will help this season. The Titans selected Treylon Burks in the first round of last year’s draft. He appeared in 11 games last season, catching 33 passes for 444 yards and a touchdown.

Then there’s tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, a fourth-round pick from last season. He made the PFWA all-rookie team after catching 32 passes for 450 yards and three scores.

No doubt, the 31-year-old Hopkins gives the Titans a more dynamic passing attack. The Cardinals released Hopkins earlier this year for financial reasons. Tennessee offered the five-time Pro Bowler a two-year contract worth $26 million. Plus, if Hopkins catches at least 95 catches for 1,050 yards and 10 touchdowns in either of the two seasons, he can earn a total of $3 million in incentives.

In an earlier interview, Tannehill said it’s imperative he get more reps with Hopkins.

“I’ll get used to him,” he said. “There’s going to be some growing reps with (Hopkins) where we’ll learn from them. Now I feel confident that if we’re presented with the same situation, that we’ll be on the same page. I’m excited about how we are growing together. We’re going to continue to have reps like that where we’re a little off. We’ll be able to grow from it, learn from it, and it will be different.”