HOUSTON — The Texans and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins have agreed to a five-year, $81 million contract extension, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
The person spoke to The AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced by the teams.
The deal, which includes $49 million guaranteed, comes as the star receiver was entering the last year of his contract.
Hopkins was the 27th overall pick in the 2013 draft. He has piled up 4,487 yards receiving in his first four seasons, including a career-high 1,521 in 2015 despite playing with a revolving door of quarterbacks. He’s started every game in his career and finished with 78 receptions for 954 yards last season.
The 25-year-old has 23 receiving touchdowns in his career and will be the centerpiece of an offence that is looking to bounce back after a tough 2016 season with Brock Osweiler at quarterback.
The production of Hopkins has been impressive considering the team’s longtime woes at quarterback. The Texans, who have started eight quarterbacks since Hopkins was drafted, thought they’d solved their problems at the position when they signed Osweiler to a $72 million contract before last season.
Instead he was benched late in the season and shipped to Cleveland in the off-season, leaving Tom Savage, who has never thrown a touchdown pass, as the starter.
Houston selected Clemson star Deshaun Watson in the first round of this year’s draft, but it looks as if Hopkins won’t be catching passes from him anytime soon with coach Bill O’Brien sticking with Savage as his starter throughout camp.
The deal will keep Hopkins with the Texans through the 2022 season.
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