Cardinals start WR Hopkins after 3 seasons

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals launched vast receiver DeAndre Hopkins on Friday, the team introduced.

Hopkins’ future with the Cardinals had been in inquire of of for the reason that stop of the 2022 season thanks to his team-high $30.75 million cap hit, which ranked tops among vast receivers in the NFL and seventh very best total.

By releasing Hopkins now, the Cardinals will do $8.15 million in cap build in 2023 however are space to take a needless cap hit of $22.6 million. Hopkins had been under contract thru the 2024 season.

Hopkins, 30, had been on the guts of trade speculation for months, however the Cardinals did not deal the vast receiver throughout April’s NFL draft. Traditional supervisor Monti Ossenfort acknowledged on the time: “DeAndre’s a Cardinal, and we’re transferring forward.”

The Buffalo Funds, Baltimore Ravens and Original England Patriots had been among the teams reportedly in pursuing Hopkins.

Hopkins skipped the Cardinals’ voluntary organized team actions this month, asserting on the “I Am Athlete” podcast with Brandon Marshall that he used to be as an alternative in Toronto to figure out.

In his three seasons in Arizona, Hopkins had 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns on 221 receptions, together with 64 catches for a team-leading 717 yards and three TDs final year. Hopkins overlooked the well-known six games of the 2022 season after being suspended for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug protection.

With out Hopkins, the Cardinals’ vast receiver corps will seemingly be led by Marquise Brown (67 catches for 709 yards in 2022), Greg Dortch (52 catches, 467 yards) and Rondale Moore (41 catches, 414 yards).

Hopkins used to be traded to the Cardinals in March 2020 from the Houston Texans along with a fourth-spherical decide for running assist David Johnson, a 2d-spherical decide that year and a fourth-spherical decide in 2021.