After spending years as the top weapon in a number of high-profile offenses around the NFL, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins finds himself in a unique spot heading into the 2025 season: a complementary offensive piece.
Now for some players, that role change may be a disappointing development after an incredible career, but for Hopkins, who has yet to win a championship, having an opportunity to play alongside Lamar Jackson was too good to pass up, as he’s among the best individual players in the league.
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Discussing his early work with Jackson during minicamp with reporters, Hopkins reveals he’s learned a lot about playing with the former MVP and looks forward to their on-field connection moving forward.
“He’s a competitor at everything. I saw him in [the locker room] shooting hoops on the basketball goal, and he didn’t want to lose. That says a lot about him and who he is, just [the] little things like that,” Hopkins said. “Obviously, on the football field, if he makes a mistake or doesn’t complete a ball that he wants to, he’s hard on himself, and no one has to say anything to him, but that’s why he is who he is.”
Asked how long it will take to build up his chemistry with Jackson and his Ravens teammates, Hopkins wouldn’t place a number on it, noting instead that he and No. 8 are both pros and will be just fine.
“I don’t think it’s like a timeframe. I think it differs,” Hopkins said. “A guy like Lamar [Jackson], who’s a veteran quarterback, he’s played a lot of football – myself, I play a lot of football. We see things differently, but I’ve had rookie quarterbacks that have taken longer. So, it differs.”
While only time will tell what Hopkins looks like in the Ravens system, from where he lines up pre-snap to how much he’s asked to do within the offense, for now, it’s hard for fans not to get excited about the five-time Pro Bowler in Todd Monken’s offense, as he’s yet another weapon to help Jackson get the promised land.
