A knee injury held DeAndre Hopkins out for most of training camp and the preseason, but it won't cause him to miss the 2024 season opener.
The Tennessee Titans wide receiver is active for the team's game versus the Chicago Bears on Sunday, after previously being listed as questionable going into the weekend.
Hopkins initially suffered the knee injury last month during practice, and while he avoided surgery the expectation was that he'd miss around four weeks, making a Week 1 return probable but not certain. Head coach Brian Callahan expressed optimism throughout his absence that the injury would not cause his WR to miss the start of the regular season, a prediction that appears to have held true.
Hopkins was a limited participant in all three practices leading up to his questionable designation, but told reporters Thursday that he "felt good" during the week.
Hopkins' first season in Tennessee in 2023 saw him record 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns, his first year with 1,000-plus receiving yards since 2020 after two down years in Arizona.
Hopkins established himself as the go-to receiving option on the Titans offense, finishing with more than double the targets, yards and TDs of any other Tennessee wide receiver.
While the Titans went out and got more firepower this offseason to aid the offense, including Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, Hopkins is still expected to feature strongly as a receiving threat, making this positive injury update all the more welcome as the 2024 season gets underway.
The Titans and Bears kick off in Chicago at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
