Well, that didn’t last long.
Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins will end his two-day holdout and report for training camp, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com.
“I too am disappointed that the Texans’ organization has elected not to enter into contract negotiations to secure my future as a Texan,” Hopkins told Ganguli in a statement. “I have expressed my sincere position regarding my contract status and with sound mind have expressed my [stance)]to the Texans’ organization. My focus also is on the 2016 season and to help my team reach our ultimate goal. Having said that, I am returning to the Houston Texans to play for a [Super Bowl] in Houston, Texas. I will be holding a 3 p.m. press conference at Reliant Stadium today. We are excited about returning to the team and grind this camp.”
Ganguli notes that the press conference won’t be happening on Sunday, and that Hopkins is expected to speak on Monday.
It appears, based on the statement, that the team refused to negotiate, and that Hopkins simply decided not to dig in. With $40,000 per day in fines, a $445,000 roster bonus that would have been forfeited if he had stayed out beyond August 4, the potential forfeiture of part (and eventually all) of a $981,000 signing bonus proration, and a base salary of only $1 million this year, Hopkins eventually would have been playing for free in 2016, if he hadn’t gotten a new contract.
If he gets nothing in return for showing up, it’s fair to ask whether Hopkins has decided not to hold out, but to hold in. Hamstring injuries, concussions, whatever. There are ways that players can make their displeasure known without exposing themselves to financial ramifications.
Unless the Texans have committed to negotiating a fair extension in exchange for the prompt end to the holdout (and it appears that they haven’t), it makes sense to pay attention to his health and his overall effort, with two years to go on a contract that he already has outplayed.