DeAndre Hopkins Noticed ‘A Piece That is Been Lacking’ Earlier than Signing With Ravens. He is Not Certain If He Is That Piece

The Baltimore Ravens are one of the top teams in the league but keep coming up just a dollar short. Since drafting Lamar Jackson, they have consistently had an elite offense when he is healthy — during the regular season. They have made progress in the postseason, particularly last year, but it hasn’t been enough.

Veteran WR DeAndre Hopkins has seen as much from afar — but he also doesn’t know he is the secret ingredient. That’s what he told his new Ravens teammates after the organization signed him earlier this offseason. One of the greats of his era, he is past his prime but can still contribute.

“Just having a conversation with him, I thought it was really humbling,” CB Marlon Humphrey said of DeAndre Hopkins, via the Ravens’ website. “We asked him, me and one of the strength coaches, ‘What do you think about the team from the outside looking in since you’ve been on other teams?’ And he said, ‘It seems like there’s been a piece that’s been missing. I could be that addition. I could not be that addition.’”

The Kansas City Chiefs traded for Hopkins last year hoping he could be that guy on a team that had already won the previous two Super Bowls — and he was not. He did catch four touchdown passes in 10 games, plus another in the playoffs. But the Ravens don’t need Hopkins to be in his prime, either.

For once, they arguably have a good receiving corps. Zay Flowers and Rashard Bateman are a solid combination, and they also throw to their tight ends. DeAndre Hopkins just needs to be that big veteran presence for the Ravens, and he knows that.

“To hear a veteran guy, All-Pro guy and Pro Bowl guy say he could be, or he could not be [the piece that’s missing], to me, that was extremely humbling,” Humphrey reiterated. “I feel that he fits the Ravens mold, and I think he’ll fit right in.”

DeAndre Hopkins did have a 1,000-yard season as recently as 2023 at age 31, with seven touchdowns. Over the past two years, he hasn’t missed time due to injury. But he is 33 years old now, and it’s unclear what’s left in the tank. He signed with the Ravens on a one-year, $5 million contract, so that reflects where he is at this point.

Last year, the Ravens hoped that RB Derrick Henry was that missing piece. Hopkins looked at that team and saw that something was still missing. Everyone wants to believe that they are the one who can make a difference, but he is being realistic. Perhaps he can help them get over the edge, but not in a starring role.