Amid their preparations for the upcoming season, it looks like the injury bug has struck a major blow to the Tennessee Titans. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins could possibly miss around four to six weeks of action after suffering a strained knee, per Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky.
While this'll definitely dampen spirits in the team's ongoing training camp, there's still around a month of preparations left before the season kicks off. So if Hopkins' plausible timetable holds true, at most, he won't be missing much once the games get underway.
Of course, the Titans would still want a fully prepared wideout come September. Initial performance setbacks could occur once a player returns from injury. In addition, an important aspect of training camp is strengthening team chemistry. Who wouldn't want their star receiver to be a part of that, right?
A much-bolstered wideout room
It can be mentioned that the Titans will be boasting a highly revamped receiving rotation this year. During the offseason, Tennessee's biggest acquisition was none other than Calvin Ridley, who inked a four-year, $92 million deal with the team. The Titans also added ex-Cincinnati Bengal Tyler Boyd to the mix. In other words, time missed for Hopkins is time missed for getting his groove alongside his new teammates.
Regardless, it looks like the wideout's ordeal was already expected. Here's a video of Hopkins practicing with a wrap around his knee on Wednesday, per ESPN's Turron Davenport.
On the bright side, four to six weeks of inactivity is only a small setback for the impending havoc that'll be caused by the DeAndre Hopkins-Calvin Ridley tandem. Both are wideouts who tallied no less than 1,000 receiving yards last season, and the duo is arguably one of the most talented in the league at present.
More on DeAndre Hopkins and the Titans
As for Hopkins, he'll be entering his second season with the Titans. Last year, he led the team's wideout room with 1,057 receiving yards, adding seven touchdowns while tallying 14.1 yards per catch to his name as well. He spearheaded the offense alongside Derrick Henry and rising quarterback Will Levis, who will be calling the shots behind center once again.
However, it was a quiet season for the Titans. The team finished with a 6-11 record, finishing last in the AFC South and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They're surely looking to have a more fruitful campaign, and they might just succeed at that. With the likes of Ridley, Boyd, Lloyd Cushenberry (C) and Tony Pollard (RB) joining the team, it won't be surprising if DeAndre Hopkins and Co. make plenty of noise this coming season.
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