The Facts: Hopkins has positioned himself for a lucrative new contract. No deal is imminent, but GM Rick Smith has reiterated several times that securing Hopkins on a long-term deal is a major priority for the AFC South franchise. Hopkins is entering a fifth-year option season and is due $7.915 million this season. "Those talks are between the Texans and my agent, but this city has embraced me just like my hometown in South Carolina has," said Hopkins.
Diehards Line:The most significant wide receiver deal of this offseason was signed Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown. Brown received a four-year, $68 million deal that included a $19 million signing bonus for an average annual salary of $17 million. The financial stratosphere for a wide receiver like Hopkins is a rich neighborhood, including upper echelon deals for the Falcons' Julio Jones (five years, $71.256 million, $12 million signing bonus, $47 million guaranteed), the Cowboys' Dez Bryant (five years, $70 million, $20 million signing bonus, $45 million guaranteed) and the Broncos' Demaryius Thomas (five years, $70 million, $11 million signing bonus, $43.5 million guaranteed). Named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2015 when he caught a career-high 111 passes for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns, Hopkins' production dipped last season to 78 catches for 954 yards and four scores while dealing with erratic passing. Hopkins has 317 catches, 4,487 yards and 23 touchdowns for his career, the most by any Texans player in franchise history through their first four seasons. He has the sixth-most catches and fifth-most receiving yards by a player at age 25 in NFL history. It's safe to say he'll get paid in that elite category; and with improved QB play, he has a good chance of returning to that level of production as well.