Derrick Henry has expressed his intent to keep the conversation going.
Addressing opinions that suggest Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins may have lost some agility in recent NFL seasons, Henry voiced his wish for this narrative to persist.
“Hopefully they keep calling him ‘washed’,” he mentioned on Friday. “We need that.”
The Ravens recently signed Hopkins, aged 33, to a one-year, $5 million deal.
Henry’s remarks come after a promising start to the season for Hopkins, who has already put up two touchdowns in just a couple of games.
“Everyone knows that when you get older, things can shift abruptly,” Henry remarked.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson chimed in about the “washed” label attached to Hopkins, noting that the five-time Pro Bowler is proving his critics wrong.
“But he shows that it’s not,” Jackson said after a 41-17 win over the Browns. “The man has an extraordinary ability to catch the ball—whether it’s one hand or just two fingers—it’s impressive.”
Despite the Ravens not having lost a game to start the season, Hopkins’ 99 receiving yards are the second-most on the team, trailing only Zaiflower’s 218 yards.
“We plan to keep him engaged,” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken stated. “Each day, I believe his role will expand as we progress.”
“He’s an exceptional player. The more he’s on the field, the better off we’ll be.”
Hopkins was selected by the Texans with the 27th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and accumulated 8,602 receiving yards during his time there, alongside three All-Pro selections.
After seven years in Houston, he played for the Cardinals, Titans, and Chiefs before joining the Ravens this season.
