Written by Ben Dubose at ESPN.com
Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins says he “wasn’t trying to send a message” with his brief holdout before reporting to his first practice of training camp on Monday.
In his first public comments since the holdout, Hopkins repeatedly pushed questions regarding his contract status toward his agent and the Houston front office, led by general manager Rick Smith.
“They handle that,” Hopkins said of his representatives and the Texans, when asked if he had been told from either side that he would not be receiving a new contract this season. “All I do is go out here and play football. I let them do the negotiating.”
Hopkins, who is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, did not report to the first practice of Houston’s training camp on Sunday. That absence earned him a $40,000 fine. By the afternoon, Hopkins said in a statement to ESPN that he would be returning to the team, adding that he was “disappointed” that the Texans had elected not to enter into contract negotiations.
“I wasn’t trying to send a message or anything like that,” Hopkins said after Monday morning’s practice. “I was doing what I felt like was best for me and my family.”
By reporting to practice before Wednesday, Hopkins will now be eligible to collect his $445,004 roster bonus on Thursday.
Despite efforts to downplay Hopkins’ contract status and focus on football, the spectacle of his situation was evident throughout Monday’s practice. After his media session concluded, Hopkins went to sign autographs for fans in attendance at NRG Park — and a chant of “Pay the Man!” broke out.
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