show at Texans camp
HOUSTON Disappointed with a lack of contract negotiations and playing under his original rookie deal, Houston Texans Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins didn’t report for training camp and is holding out.
Hopkins is entering the fourth year of a $15.552 million rookie contract that included a $3.926 million signing bonus and a total of $6.181 million guaranteed.
The Texans officially placed Hopkins on the reserve/did not report list. He can be activated from that list whenever he reports to camp. However, Hopkins is subject to fines of up to $40,000 per day for missing camp. The Texans’ first day of practice is Sunday.
"We are disappointed DeAndre has elected not to report to training camp with the rest of his teammates," Texans general manager Rick Smith said in a statement. "He has expressed his position regarding his contract status, and we have been clear with both he and his representatives of ours. Our focus is on the 2016 season and all of our collective efforts and attention will be centered on that endeavor."
Paid a $1.098 million guaranteed base salary last season, Hopkins is due a $1 million non guaranteed base salary this season and is due a $445,004 roster bonus on the fifth day of training camp. A big part of the Texans’ future involves Hopkins, whose $7.915 million fifth year team option was exercised to keep him under contract through the 2017 season.
The Texans’ stance is to not negotiate contracts with two years remaining on current deals. Watt when they signed him to a $100 million contract extension with two years left on his rookie contract, but that was viewed as an exception for the three time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. A four year, $27 million contract extension was reached for linebacker Whitney Mercilus at the deadline last year to exercise his fifth year option.
Hopkins didn’t issue a comment publicly on the situation. However, on social media, Hopkins retweeted Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu: "Guys can under perform and get cut, over perform don’t get paid. Life.
If this stalemate drags on, it could be an expensive proposition for Hopkins. Should the holdout reach six days of training camp, the Texans have the option to recoup 15 percent of the prorated portion of Hopkins’ $3.926 million signing bonus. That would be roughly $147,251, plus an additional one percent per day of camp missed. It’s capped at 25 percent of the prorated portion of the signing bonus, or $245,418 if he misses the whole preseason.
If he misses a regular season game, he could be docked another 25 percent of the signing bonus proration for another $245,418. Hopkins would also forfeit a weekly game check of $58,824 per game missed.
Hopkins is coming off a breakthrough season where he caught a career high 111 passes for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns and delivered a series of acrobatic, one handed catches. Yates. The Texans signed quarterback Brock Osweiler to a four year, $72 million deal in March and he’s been building chemistry with Hopkins during practices and informal workouts.
Hopkins, 24, could eventually be in line for contracts similar to top receivers like the Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones (five years, $71.256 million, $12 million signing bonus, $47 million guaranteed); the Dallas Cowboys’ Dez Bryant (five years, $70 million, $20 million signing bonus, $45 million guaranteed) and the Denver Broncos’ Demaryius Thomas (five years, $70 million, $11 million signing bonus, $43.5 million guaranteed).
