DeAndre Hopkins Rumors: WR, Bill O'Brien Have 'No Animosity' amid Patriots FA Buzz

DeAndre Hopkins' rocky relationship with Bill O'Brien in Houston will reportedly have no bearing on his free-agency decision.

Dianna Russini of ESPN reported there is "no animosity" between Hopkins and O'Brien as the wideout prepares to visit the New England Patriots on Wednesday. O'Brien returned to the Patriots this offseason as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Hopkins played six seasons under O'Brien with the Texans, earning four All-Pro selections and emerging as one of the NFL's best wide receivers. However, the pair had a falling out late in Hopkins' tenure, with O'Brien shipping the Pro Bowler to the Arizona Cardinals for what many considered a laughable return of running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick.

Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin, who has a close relationship with Hopkins, alleged O'Brien compared Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez in a meeting. While Hopkins would say the situation was blown "out of proportion," it was clear there was bad blood between the two.

"There was no relationship," Hopkins told Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated. "Make sure you put that in there. There's not a lot to speak about."

It seems enough time has passed for the situation to smooth over.

The Cardinals released Hopkins in May after unsuccessfully attempting to trade him, ending a tenure that started promisingly but went bust. He was an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2020 before being limited to 19 games over the following two seasons due to injuries and a performance-enhancing drug suspension.

While there's no shortage of suitors for Hopkins, it'll be interesting to see whether he places a greater emphasis on salary or fit. The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs seem like obvious fits who could slot him immediately into high-powered offenses with top-tier quarterbacks, but neither has much cap wiggle room.

The Patriots, meanwhile, have $14.7 million in space, per Over the Cap, and could easily add more by restructuring contracts.