$144m star becomes college football coach but confirms he isn’t retired from NFL just yet

DeAndre Hopkins is joining Georgia Tech’s coaching staff.

On Friday, head coach Brent Key announced that Hopkins is joining his staff as the program’s assistant wide receivers coach for the 2026 season.

Getty

“DeAndre is one of the greatest receivers of all-time, but his value to our program goes far beyond the that,” Key said. 

“He has an exceptional knowledge of what we’re doing on offense due his long relationship with (offensive coordinator) George Godsey and strong familiarity with the ACC, but most importantly, he’s a leader of men that I’m very excited for our players to be around, on and off the field.”

Despite the new job, Hopkins confirmed that he’s not ready to retire from the NFL just yet.

“I Haven’t retired from the @NFL … But if you’re a WR and you want to be great, come to @GeorgiaTechFB,” Hopkins wrote on X.

The veteran wide receiver spent last season – Year 13 in the NFL – with the Baltimore Ravens, but barely saw the ball.

In fact, the 34-year-old started just three games for the AFC North outfit, and had 22 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns – all career-lows – though he did average 15 yards per catch.

Having begun his career as a first-round pick at the Houston Texans, Hopkins very quickly developed into a No. 1 option at wide receiver, and has been named to five Pro Bowls in his career.

The five-time All-Pro’s best years were in Houston, though, where he recorded five of his seven 1,000-plus receiving yard seasons, with the other two coming at the Arizona Cardinals (2020) and Tennessee Titans (2023), respectively.

Hopkings recently spent time with the Patriots

Hopkins was previously been linked with a move to the Minnesota Vikings this summer, but recently joined New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel on the team’s coaching staff as he mulled whether to continue his playing career or go down a coaching path.

“DeAndre Hopkins is here with us just to kind of check things out as far as what he wants to do as far as coaching. You’ll see him on the field,” Vrabel said during a pre-training camp press conference.

Getty

“He asked if he could hang out for a couple of days and be around the coaches and around the personnel department.

“I called the league to make sure that was going to be okay, and then I invited him back. That’s where he’s been the last couple of days, and he’ll be here for the next couple of days.”

Vrabel and Hopkins’ relationship goes way back, with the two having first worked together at the Texans in 2014 when Vrabel had just been brought in by Bill O’Brien as a linebackers coach.

The two then reunited again in 2023 at the Titans when Vrabel was the head coach.

“He has got coaching gear on, and he is helping out the offensive coaches,” Vrabel added. “And meeting with our personnel guys. I mean, he loves football.

“People that love football and have played the game for the length of time that he did, he wants, I think, to explore the opportunities and what that looks like after his playing career is over.

Getty

However, shortly after, Hopkins’s time in Foxborough had come to an end.

“Hop’s not here, but it was a great experience for all of us,” Vrabel said. “I think that’s what we would try to do when you have some of these unique situations where a player, former player or whatever it may be wants to come in, help and learn, and they love football. So, I think it was good for everybody.”

“I still got a lot of ball left. But it’s not a situation I’m sitting here trying to force or go out and be the regular-season superstar because that’s for the young guys, man,” Hopkins said back on June 24.

“That’s for the people that they want to develop and give those contracts for the future.

“I know in my position, I’m a utility guy. I’m a special situation kind of guy. I can go out there and beat anybody one on one at any time, but as of lately, I’ve been a third-down guy.

“I wasn’t used in the red zone last year. But third down, they’re gonna put D-Hop in, they’re gonna come to me. I don’t think that’ll change anytime soon.”

It remains to be seen if Hopkins returns to the NFL in a playing capacity.

If this is to be the end of his playing career, then the $144 million WR1 will go down as one of the greatest receivers of his generation, featuring in 204 games in which he has amassed a total of 1,046 receptions, 13,770 receiving yards and 87 touchdowns.

These numbers very much propel him to be considered a certain lock for the Hall of Fame one day.