New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is not frequently mic’d up before games. However, since the Arizona Cardinals are the focus of Hard Knocks In Season on HBO, a short Belichick conversation with DeAndre Hopkins was on camera.
Before the game Monday night kicked off, Belichick offered some kind words for Hopkins and joked “I’m glad we only have to play you every four years, man”, to which the all-pro wide receiver replied, “I love you, man.”
You can view the full clip in the tweet below.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1603141602729283584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The conversation was far from the only Hopkins praise by Belichick. In a press conference leading up to the game, Belichick raved about Hopkins and compared him to Hall of Famer Cris Carter.
“He’s got tremendous ball skills,” Belichick said. “He catches everything, has great hands, and he’s long so he’s never covered. Even if he’s covered, there’s a place where the ball can be that he can get it and still make the catch. Great coordination on the sidelines and he doesn’t really look it, but he’s a strong kid. You see him break tackles. He’s a strong kid in terms of creating separation on routes, yards after contact, you know, tough yards like around the goal line or that extra yard for a first down type of thing.
“He’s a very smart football player, very savvy. But his ball skills are at the very elite level with guys that I’ve seen in this league. He’s up there with whoever the top guys are, the Cris Carters of the world, and guys like that. He’s every bit as good as anybody I’ve ever coached against.”
As for how the game went, it was not the best performance for Hopkins, but he was without his starting quarterback Kyler Murray, who left with an ACL injury that ultimately ended his season. He finished with seven receptions for 79 yards but also committed a costly turnover when safety Kyle Dugger forced a fumble that was picked up and returned for a touchdown by linebacker Raekwon McMillian.
Now for those wondering if the Belichick compliments could be a recruiting tool for New England, Hopkins is still under contract with the Cardinals for another two seasons.
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