NFL beat writer Paul Kuharsky reported that Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins could miss up to six weeks of action due to a knee injury. However, his recovery will determine his availability for Week 1 of the 2024 season.
If his injury takes six weeks to heal, he might be ready for their Week 2 home game against the New York Jets. However, being available after four weeks means he will return on time for their season opener versus the Chicago Bears.
Hopkins isn’t new to knee injuries. In 2021, a torn MCL limited him to ten games. A year later, he served a six-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
DeAndre Hopkins had his Left knee taped up yesterday.
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) August 1, 2024
I just rewatched his MCL injury in 2021, which required surgery - it was his Right MCL.
If this is an MCL injury, it’s at least on the opposite side than his prior surgical repair.
pic.twitter.com/jfUKXdolAs
Hopkins bounced back in 2023 by playing all regular season games. The five-time All-Pro wideout finished his 11th NFL season with 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. It’s his seventh 1,000-yard season and first since 2020.
Hopkins will be a vital cog in Tennessee’s offense, which second-year quarterback Will Levis will guide. Despite the additions of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, Hopkins remains the leader of the Titans’ receiving corps.
But if the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver misses more games this season, the team will look to Ridley, Boyd, and Treylon Burks for more production.
-Lance Fernandez