Houston Texans: DeAndre Hopkins trade will signal rough times ahead

The Texans shocked everyone by trading their best player to the Cardinals. This confirms that there was no window of opportunity with this team. How?

The Houston Texans shocked their fanbase by trading the best wide receiver in the NFL to the Arizona Cardinals. While the Texans did get draft picks in return, the reality of how fans feel about Bill O’Brien only confirms how much the Texans have a chance at getting to the Super Bowl.

Houston Texans fans, it’s days like this that I’m embarrassed to be a fan of my sports teams. We’re dealing with so much right now with our sports seasons hanging in the balance because of coronavirus that we can’t afford to have things get worse.

I mean, the Astros have yet to shut up the haters while the Rockets are not on the court now. The Houston Roughnecks were undefeated before the season ended. Even the Dynamo and Dash have to hold off their seasons while the Houston Rodeo got cancelled because of the virus.

But just when it couldn’t possibly get any worse, it did. For those that might be thinking it’s crazy, I can confirm the Houston Texans have traded DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals.

WHAT?

You read it right. Hopkins, arguably the best receiver in the NFL, who’s an inspirational story about him scoring touchdowns while giving the balls to his mother after she suffered an abusive situation that left her blind touched us won’t return. Hopkins, who’s had some of the best catches in NFL history that would’ve been only to be called back because of penalty is gone.

I don’t understand what in our rightful mind gave us the right to trade the guy. He had three years left on his contract and you trade him? This guy was the heir apparent to Andre Johnson if not better and you trade him? This guy was the one to help us get over last season’s collapse to the Chiefs in the playoffs along with Deshaun Watson and you trade him?

What are we supposed to say? Well, who are the Texans getting to bring us a championship? Is this a trade that we needed to make for draft picks?

No, this is not the trade you make. You just gave Arizona, a team that has a quarterback, a former Heisman Trophy winner in Kyler Murray, who won offensive rookie of the year, that now has a weapon to go to with the game on the line.

You just gave Arizona the player that can be a big impact for them in the years to come so that they could potentially compete for the Super Bowl. And oh, by the way, they are also holders of a future Hall-of-Famer in Larry Fitzgerald. Arizona has won this trade. The Texans, despite getting Arizona running back David Johnson and two draft picks, have lost the trade.

David Johnson‘s last season saw him play 13 games and only rush for 345 yards on 94 carries, a 3.7 yards per carry ordeal. Carlos Hyde and Lamar Miller, the Texans’ previous running backs, are about to test free agency and chances are, both might be gone.

So where does leave the Texans? Well, they got an offensive line that while better, still has to do a better job protecting Watson. You still have Kenny Stills and Will Fuller, should the guy even play a healthy season. But this is just perplexing as it is.

On one hand, you can see why. Last season, he finished tied for third in receptions (104), 11th in receiving yards (1,165) and third in first-down catches (68), which wasn’t a typical year for him. But still, it’s Hopkins.

But on the other hand, it doesn’t make sense, unless you consider this theory by Mike Meltser:

Violating my own media rule here: the relationship between Bill O’Brien and DeAndre Hopkins was not good, and I’ve heard that from multiple places.

My own take: Bill O’Brien hasn’t accomplished enough in his life in football to have a bad relationship with a tremendous player
— Mike Meltser (@MikeMeltser) March 16, 2020

Typical. O’Brien doesn’t like it when players don’t go according to his plan. It’s either his way or the highway. This shouldn’t be a surprise now that I think of it because their had been talks of Hopkins getting traded. But you don’t trade Hopkins. That is unless you hold the keys to the ignition and can run the organization the way you see fit, which I believe won’t coincide with the vision of our fans.

The only thing that I hope is that this is like the infamous Herschel Walker trade. We know how that happened. The Dallas Cowboys traded their best player at the time for draft picks and that led to a dynasty while Walker went on the decline. But the idea of that happenings seems as farfetched as saying coronavirus will be resolved tomorrow.

Football fans in Houston want a championship and I do believe and know there will be a day that it will happen when we’re hoisting the Lombardi trophy. Yes, I know I keep saying that because I feel it even when now is not the time since you probably don’t want to hear it from me.

I’m sticking with this team even if success won’t be around until after O’Brien leaves (if that ever happens). I don’t want to miss out on anything special. For those of y’all that decide to bail, I don’t blame you, but just be ready to get back on when something good happens.

But right now, it seems like that is not to be the case at least for this era. Hopkins is gone. Who’s next? Watt? Watson? If there is anything that comes from this, the Texans could set another record for most ex-players who either won or participated in the Super Bowl.

It happened with Tyrann Mathieu. It could happen with Jadeveon Clowney and the Seahawks.

More from House of Houston

Who knows? Hopkins could be hoisting a Lombardi trophy with the Arizona Cardinals, a franchise that like us, is also looking for its first championship.

Something will need to happen to get us to where we want to be. Unless Cal McNair and his family have it in their minds to do the thing and get a general manager and a new head coach, then fans might have to start a revolution or a rebellion to get O’Brien out.

But even then, I don’t know what it will take to get the Texans from this era of potential going to waste to becoming a dominant team. Kansas City knows that feeling. New Orleans knows that feeling. Philadelphia knows that feeling. What will it take for us to get there? I don’t know.

Next. Texans: Terms of Bradley Roby's new deal are surprising. dark

I’ll still support the Texans through and through even though we’re probably going to endure missed playoff years. But this day, along with no sports and being quarantined by coronavirus, is making me question what the purpose of waiting for glory days is all about.

Home/Houston Texans