Hopkins recorded seven catches for 109 yards during the 2022-23 season.
What it means:
Hopkins missed three games for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, but was on the field for all 14 of the Rams' remaining games, operating as the No. 2 tight end behind Tyler Higbee after Kendall Blanton was released. As injuries piled up for the Rams, Hopkins saw his role increase as the season progressed, and he notched a career-high 57 receiving yards in Week 16's contest against the Broncos. The 2020 fourth-round pick will enter the final season of his rookie deal looking to continue carving out a role similar to what he saw in the latter half of the season.
Hopkins caught his only target for 21 yards during Sunday's 31-10 loss to the Chargers.
What it means:
Hopkins did the most with his only opportunity of the game, laying out for a Baker Mayfield pass off play-action and turning it into a big gain. Hopkins was on the field for 19 snaps on offense, and while the stat line may look innocuous, Mayfield only completed 11 passes on the day, and five of those were to his tight ends. The Rams close their season with an away game against the Seahawks in Week 18, and Hopkins should continue to get an extended look in the offense.
Hopkins secured all three of his targets for 57 yards during Sunday's 51-14 victory against the Broncos.
What it means:
Hopkins saw a significant jump in playing time in Week 16, with his 38 snaps by far a season high, and he responded with the best performance of his young career. In the first quarter, he snagged a 22-yard pass from Baker Mayfield to help set up the first of Tyler Higbee's two touchdowns, and he added receptions of 16 and 19 yards in the second and third quarters, respectively. Mayfield fed his tight ends often, with a combined 12-151-2 line versus the rest of the team's 12-79-0 line, and while Hopkins will still be an unreliable fantasy target in the short term, this performance against a normally rock-solid Broncos' defense is a good indicator of what Hopkins can do when given an opportunity.
Hopkins caught his only target for eight yards during Thursday's 17-16 win against the Raiders.
What it means:
Hopkins has saw his playing time steadily decrease since peaking during Week 12's game against the Chiefs, and he only took the field for four snaps on Thursday compared to Tyler Higbee's 61, suggesting that Higbee has fully recovered from a mild knee issue that he suffered a few weeks ago. Hopkins will likely continue to be used sparingly at best barring another injury to Higbee.
Hopkins reeled in one of his two targets for an 11-yard gain in Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Cardinals.
What it means:
Suiting up for the fourth contest in a row after serving a three-game suspension earlier in the season, Hopkins once again served as the primary backup to Tyler Higbee. Hopkins narrowly cleared 20 percent of the Rams' offensive snaps for the second straight game, and he could have a path to seeing a slight uptick in playing time moving forward even while Higbee remains healthy. With star wideout Cooper Kupp (ankle) undergoing surgery Wednesday and set to miss at least four games, the Rams will need to turn to a collection of players to replace his 10.8 targets per game. While some of that volume will be diverted to the run game, the Rams could explore using more two tight-end sets featuring both Higbee and Hopkins, the latter of whom was a standout pass catcher during his college days at Purdue.
Hopkins' three-game suspension for a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy was lifted Monday, per the league's transaction log.
What it means:
Now that he's back on the Rams' active roster, Hopkins likely will slot in as the team's No. 2 tight end behind Tyler Higbee in front of Kendall Blanton. In two games this season, Hopkins didn't receive a target while playing eight snaps on offense and six more on special teams.
