There's plenty of buzz surrounding the Tennessee Titans heading into the 2024 season.
Tennessee hired a new head coach in Brian Callahan, signed some veteran wide receivers and added depth at the cornerback position.
One player who remains with the Titans under the new regime is wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Following the addition of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, Hopkins is looking for his competitive nature to give him a leg up on his new teammates.
"I am always competing," Hopkins said this week, via the team website. "Any time we get anyone who is a No.1 receiver, my mindset is to go out and outcompete them, outdo them. I've always had that mindset, Kobe Bryant being my favorite athlete of all time. Any time I get a chance to compete against anyone I am trying to outcompete them, trying to outdo them. And that's only going to make the team better."
As Hopkins enters his 12th season in the NFL, the five-time Pro Bowler is coming off his seventh 1,000 receiving yard campaign. Ridley, who signed a four-year, $92 million contract with the Titans, is coming off a 1,000-yard receiving season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Meanwhile, Boyd is reuniting with Callahan in Tennessee after the duo spent the last five seasons in Cincinnati. Boyd consistently provided a reliable option alongside Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
"I think this is one of the best wide receiver groups I've had the chance to play with on paper," Hopkins said. "Obviously, I could come up here and say a bunch, but we haven't played a game yet. So, we'll see how it goes once we hit the field."
An ankle injury suffered by veteran starter Ryan Tannehill led to Will Levis getting his first career start at quarterback in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons. The No. 33 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft threw four touchdowns in the win and retained the starting job after his performance. Levis finished the season completing 58.4% of his passes for 1,808 passing yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions in nine games.
Hopkins hopes the other receivers can help unlock Levis' potential as he enters his second season in Tennessee.
"We have to be on the same page with Will," Hopkins said. "We have to know what he is thinking, what he is doing, and be able to take his criticism, and him being able to take our criticism. It doesn't happen just on the field, you have to build that bond. It's up to us to go out and help him be the best quarterback he can be."
