Arizona Cardinals Release WR DeAndre Hopkins

Hopkins is a five-time Pro Bowl selection.
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The Cardinals released star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins after failing to find a trade partner for the veteran, the team announced Friday.

With the release of Hopkins, who spent three seasons with the team, the Cardinals will absorb a dead cap hit of $22.6 million next season. He will not be designated as a June 1 cut, which would’ve allowed Arizona to delay some of the cap impact to 2024, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

After being acquired from the Texans in 2020, Hopkins played 35 games for Arizona, hauling in 221 receptions for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Although he never officially requested a trade, Hopkins appeared ready to move on from the Cardinals.

“What I want is stable management upstairs. That’s something I haven’t really had the past couple years of my career coming over from Houston and then to Arizona,” Hopkins said recently on the I Am Athlete podcast. “A QB who loves the game, a QB who brings everybody on board with him, not just himself but everybody around him … and a great defense. A great defense wins championships.”

Although Hopkins is no longer widely considered to be an elite NFL receiver, the soon-to-be 31-year-old still has proven to be productive following his peak in Houston.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.