Is it really a holdout if you miss one day of practice?
DeAndre Hopkins made news over the weekend when he didn’t report to training camp for Houston’s first day of drills. The fourth-year receiver had a Pro Bowl season in 2015, catching 111 balls for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns, tearing up the AFC South and fantasy leagues across the country. Hopkins had hoped the team would reward him with a long-term deal this offseason.
But when that didn’t happen, Hopkins decided to stay home from training camp, despite the $40,0000-per day fine that entails. There’s a long history of players using the holdout as a negotiating tactic, as it’s often the only leverage a player has in these situations.
Yet Hopkins reported on Monday, his one-day protest over. This seems like a more symbolic gesture from Hopkins, who is playing out his rookie contract and wants to get paid. So, DeAndre, was it just to send a message of displeasure with the contract negotiation process?
“I wasn’t trying to send a message or anything like that,” Hopkins said after Monday morning’s practice. “I was doing what I felt like was best for me and my family.”
By reporting to practice before Wednesday, Hopkins will now be eligible to collect his $445,004 roster bonus on Thursday.
Despite efforts to downplay Hopkins’ contract status and focus on football, the spectacle of his situation was evident throughout Monday’s practice. After his media session concluded, Hopkins went to sign autographs for fans in attendance at NRG Park — and a chant of “Pay the Man!” broke out.
That middle paragraph is key, as the roster bonus Hopkins is in line to pick up this week likely played a key role in his decision-making process. Hopkins can say whatever he wants, and it’s perhaps more diplomatic to say he wasn’t sending a message by symbolically holding out for one day and then returning immediately despite having received zero concessions.
But for a guy who didn’t want to send a message, he certainly seems to have gotten his point across.
[ESPN]
