DeAndre Hopkins Sounds off on Texans Owner Bob McNair's 'Prison' Comments and Not Signing Kaepernick

With their season opener this upcoming Monday, GQ released yet another interview with an NFL star, this time being Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. And he had a lot to say about his team.

Back in 2017, then-owner Bob McNair made news waves for his leaked comments about players kneeling during the national anthem, comparing them to "inmates running the prison." Hopkins elaborated on what he was feeling during the time, in which he said he felt "like a slave again."

"It's hard for people to understand what that means, when your family was slaves... Not even too long ago, people couldn't even drink out of the same water faucet. Not even 100 years ago," Hopkins said, via GQ. "People don't understand. I'm from South Carolina. I'm from a real cultured state, where there's still racism daily. Still, places are segregated. I really didn't want to play in that game, dog. I was like, 'Shit, this is bigger than a game, man.' I’ve got to stand for something [for my children]... It feels like I'm a slave again. Getting ran over. Listen to the master, go to work. But I took into consideration that he was older—RIP, his soul. He was a good man, but some people they don't really… When you grow up certain places, you talk a certain way."

Hopkins was tempted to sit out the next game after McNair's comments saw the light of day, but he stressed he has undying loyalty to his teammates, and opted against not playing.

The star receiver also touched on the always-prevalent Colin Kaepernick topic and how he's yet to have a job in the NFL. In the 2017 season, the Texans were rolling with quarterback Deshaun Watson, but were given a bad hand in the form of the rookie suffering a torn ACL midway through the year.

Hopkins hoped the team would call Kaepernick to take over the reigns for Watson, but that never came to fruition, and it still continues to this day.

"I was upset. Everybody needed to give Kaep a look," Hopkins said. "He can help a team win. I've seen a lot of quarterbacks that's not as good as Kaep, but teams don't want the heat behind them."

DeAndre Hopkins pulled back the curtain and provided some insight into what it was like being involved in the controversial 2017 season for the Houston Texans.