Cardinals GM Does Not Expect DeAndre Hopkins Trade During Draft

Ossenfort does not anticipate moving on from the team’s star wide receiver this weekend.

One of the questions entering the draft for the Cardinals was whether or not the team would move veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins.

There have been plenty of rumors swirling surrounding the wide receiver and whether or not he would be traded elsewhere. Despite this, Hopkins wasn’t moved on Day 1 of the draft, and the expectation in Arizona is that he may not be moved at all.

“I don’t foresee that happening,” Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said on Thursday night. “I don’t know what is going to happen here in the next couple days. Right now, I don’t foresee that happening, no. … DeAndre’s a Cardinal and we’re moving forward.”

Hopkins enters the 2023 season carrying a cap hit of $30.75 million, which led many around the league to speculate that the Cardinals would try to move him. 

Arizona’s only trades on draft night involved the movement of picks. First, the Cardinals struck a deal with the Eagles, which was settled due to a tampering investigation into Arizona’s hiring of former Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.

The Cardinals and Eagles swapped third-round picks and the Cardinals also got a fifth-round pick next season. 

Arizona then traded the No. 3 pick and No. 105 pick in exchange for No. 12 and No. 33 this year and a first-round and third-round pick next year.

Arizona is expected to stay active in trade talks over the next few days, but time will tell whether or not Ossenfort stays true to his word and elects to keep Hopkins for 2023.