So far, only two NFL teams have been linked concretely to free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The five-time All-Pro visited with the Titans on Sunday, and is expected to arrive in New England on Wednesday for the first day of his two-day visit.

Hopkins has no further visits scheduled beyond New England. Does that mean there’s no other teams interested in signing him? Apparently not.

• Following Hopkins’ visit to Tennessee, ESPN’s Dianna Russini tweeted that Hopkins is expected to take more visits with teams.” Jordan Schultz had a similar report, tweeting on Monday that “Nuk [Hopkins’ nickname] is expected to visit the Patriots and there’s a chance he may schedule more visits as well.”

  Smoke about unnamed teams pursing Hopkins then picked up on Tuesday. Appearing on NFL Network, Ian Rapoport noted “Hopkins has a lot of teams interested…He’s got a choice of a lot of teams.”

• From Inside Minicamps on NFL+: The #Patriots will host FA star WR DeAndre Hopkins tomorrow and Thursday. pic.twitter.com/QbRYdG7vbn

  — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 13, 2023

• While no other team has set up to host Hopkins for a visit, there were other teams connected to him through rumors throughout the offseason. Some, such as the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns, made sense as destinations and could come into play.

  Others, such as the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, were believed to be priced out of his market. For those teams to get involved again, Hopkins’ asking price would likely have to drop significantly.

• READ MORE:

  — Minicamp Day 2 observations
  — Judon’s high praise for Marte Mapu
  — Bill Belichick broke a golden rule for DeAndre Hopkins

• It’s also possible the report of more teams being interested is a leverage play coming from Hopkins’ camp. With no visits scheduled after the Patriots, his team could be putting that narrative out there to entice the Patriots into giving Hopkins a contract he’d sign on the spot during his visit, rather than letting him continue to test the market.

  If that ends up being the case, we should know by Thursday night. If not, and Hopkins leaves New England without any further visits scheduled, then #HopkinsWatch could turn into a real roller coaster.

• Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

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