The Tennessee Titans will have to deal without their No. 1 wide receiver for the remainder of training camp and the preseason, and possibly longer. According to Paul Kuharsky, DeAndre Hopkins suffered a strained knee on either Wednesday or Thursday and he is expected to be out for four to six weeks.
Hopkins was the team's leading receiver last season with 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. He is expected to pair with Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd in Tennessee's three-receiver sets this coming season as the Titans look to speed up Will Levis' development under center under new head coach Brian Callahan.
Levis not having his presumptive top target on the field during the ramp-up to the season is less than ideal, though it could lead to him leaning on Ridley and/or Boyd more often. Hopkins' absence is also likely to lead to more opportunities for 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks to work with the first team, while Nick Westbrook-Ikhine could get more looks there as well.
The Titans had previously been an extremely run-heavy team under former head coach Mike Vrabel, but after bringing in both Ridley and Boyd, along with center Lloyd Cushenberry and tackle J.C. Latham and running back Tony Pollard, it's expected that under Callahan they will have more of a lean toward the aerial attack this season. Hopkins being out could make that shift more challenging, specially if his absence lingers into the regular season.
Heading into his age 32 season, Hopkins is in the final year of his contract and drawing an $8.3 million base salary while counting for $18.3 million against Tennessee's books due to his prorated signing bonus, roster bonus, and other additional bonuses.