AFC Notes: DeAndre Hopkins, C.J. Stroud, Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

Jaguars QB Mac Jones admitted that a change of scenery that came with a trade from New England was beneficial for him and he is focused on getting back to having fun just playing the game of football with the pressure of being a franchise quarterback now off of his shoulders. 

“The whole change of scenery definitely helped,” Jones told Jeff Howe of TheAthletic.com. “I’m just having fun playing football. I’m at my best when I’m keeping it loose, letting it rip, and having that gunslinger mindset that I maybe had lost a little bit of. But I got it back here, and you’ve just got to be consistent with it. It’s good days, bad days and everything in between.”

“We’ve both been through a lot in our own ways,” Jones said of QB Trevor Lawrence. “[Lawrence] has done a good job getting back on his feet, obviously, with the contract, taking them to the playoffs [in 2022] and playing really good football. I think it just shows you that football is a game of ebbs and flows. At some point, it’s going to come your way if you just keep working for it. I know that’ll happen.”

Texans

Texans HC DeMeco Ryans believes that QB C.J. Stroud, like any other player on the roster, still can make significant strides in his development next season.

“Where can we see him grow in his second year? It’s his leadership, first and foremost — continue to become the leader that we want him to be,” Ryans said, via PFT. “And it’s just in his play. It doesn’t change for C.J. or anyone else — can we get a little bit better each day? There’s no big grand thing for him, just continue to get a little bit better. You see how much better he got from his first day of camp last year until our last game — how much better [he got], you saw the growth of him. And that’s the same thing as we come into this season.”

Ryans added that Stroud has grown into his leadership role over the course of this offseason.

“I think C.J. has done a really good job this offseason as a leader when it comes to working with other guys — knowing that he’s not just working by himself, but finding the avenues to get a group together and work together,” Ryans said. “That’s very important, especially when it comes to timing in the passing game for receivers and quarterbacks. They have to be in sync. And it shows that they see how important that was because guys were working together this summer.”

Titans

Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins said he’s the happiest he’s been in his career playing in Tennessee.

“I love Tennessee. I love what Miss Amy [Adams Strunk, the Titans’ owner] is doing,” Hopkins said, via PFT. “I think this is the happiest I’ve been in any organization, so I’ll just let that speak for itself.”