Houston GM releases statement on Hopkins' holdout |
Former Clemson receiver
DeAndre Hopkins did not officially report to Texans camp and will hold out for a bigger contract and the Texans subsquently placed him on the Reserve/Did not Report list.
Hopkins has two years left on his NFL rookie contract and will make $1 million in base salary in 2016 unless the two sides agree to a new deal. Hopkins can be fined $40,000 for each day missed as the Texans have declined to negotiate a new deal so far. He also will miss a $445K roster bonus if he is not on the 90-man roster on August 4th. Houston general manager Rick Smith released the following statement about the situation with Hopkins. "We are disappointed DeAndre has elected not to report to training camp with the rest of his teammates," Smith said. "He has expressed his position regarding his contract status, and we have been clear with both he and his representatives of ours. Our focus is on the 2016 season and all of our collective efforts and attention will be centered on that endeavor." Last season, Hopkins pulled in 111 receptions for 1,521 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. His 2015-2016 season was remarkable in a Texans' historical perspective as he had the third-most catches, fourth-most receiving yards and fourth most receiving touchdowns. He was also the first player in NFL history to have 100-yard receiving games with four different starting quarterback in a single season (Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden). He is the second player in NFL history along with Randy Moss to record 3,500 receiving yards before the age of 24. He has accrued an amazing 239 catches for 3,533 yards (14.8 ypg) and 19 touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2013.
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