The New York Giants were desperate to add playmakers this offseason and focused much of their attention on receivers.
They brought in the likes of Parris Campbell, Cole Beasley and Jamison Crowder, who was released as a part of final cuts. They also drafted Jalin Hyatt and signed undrafted free agent Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who suffered a torn ACL during the preseason.
Buy Giants TicketsThen there was the biggest addition of all — the acquisition of Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Needless to say, general manager Joe Schoen looked under nearly every rock to improve the talent around quarterback Daniel Jones. But there was one corner of the market Schoen didn’t explore and that was the one in which DeAndre Hopkins resided.
In a recent interview with GQ, Hopkins vented over the teams that didn’t want him and specifically named the Giants among them.
“There were some teams that I had on my list that I gave them calls and they didn’t give a call back,” an offended Hopkins explained. “Detroit Lions, they didn’t want me. Dallas Cowboys didn’t want me. Giants didn’t want me. (Expletive). Who else ain’t want me? San Fran ain’t want me.”
The 31-year-old Hopkins, who was suspended six games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy last year, eventually signed a two-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. That clearly wasn’t the destination he preferred if he openly lamented being passed on by other teams.
But now that he is with the Titans, Hopkins vows to exact revenge on those who he feels did him wrong, including the Giants.
“When you’re a player and some people feel like they’re great without you, and then you see what they have on paper, or you see what they do, you mark those games down, as a competitor,” Hopkins said. “I can’t wait to play’ em and, honestly, try my best to crush they (expletive).”
The Giants won’t play the Titans in 2023 and aren’t scheduled to see them again until 2026. However, if the two teams share a divisional finish this season, the Giants would host the Titans at MetLife Stadium next year.
Chances are Hopkins never sees the Giants on the field again, though. So he’ll just have to accept the reality that a wide receiver-starved team didn’t see him as the answer or even someone who could move the needle.
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