Texans' DeAndre Hopkins recuperating from brutal season

Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) makes a 26-yard reception against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter of an NFL football game at NRG Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, in Houston. Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) makes a 26-yard reception against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter of an NFL football game at NRG Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, in Houston. Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff Photographer Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Texans' DeAndre Hopkins recuperating from brutal season 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins said Saturday he played with more pain last season than any time in his six-year career.

Despite playing with a nagging foot injury and suffering a serious shoulder injury in the playoff loss to Indianapolis, Hopkins caught 115 passes for 1,572 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was voted first-team All-Pro for a second consecutive season.

"Last year was tough, not just physically but mentally," Hopkins said Saturday during an appearance at the Tri-Star Show at NRG Arena. "It's the most banged up I've ever been playing football. I was dealing with serious injuries a lot of people would have sat down for. But we had a good team that depended on me, and I never gave a thought to not playing unless the doctors told me I couldn't."

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In the playoff loss, Hopkins suffered the shoulder injury in the second quarter but refused to leave the game.

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"I tore ligaments in my shoulder completely off the bone," he said. "I tried to play even though I had only one arm. We had something good going, and I know they needed me."

Hopkins has been rehabbing during the offseason program and expects to be ready for training camp.

"I plan to be," he said. "I'm resting my body and healing. This is going to be the best I've felt. I feel like I'm going to be better than ever.

"I'm trying to help my team win more games and be better than last year."

Hopkins was as surprised as everyone else Friday when he found out general manager Brian Gaine had been fired.

"That's above my pay grade," he said Saturday before signing autographs at TriStar's Show at Reliant Arena. "That's the organization's decision. I just try to do my job, and that's to execute the play that's called."

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