After hauling in his iconic “Hail Murray” touchdown against the Bills in 2020, DeAndre Hopkins went to the postgame Zoom interview session to unleash his most memorable comment in Arizona.
He said that the Bills had him encircled. “It was just a better catch by I,” Hopkins said.
While with the Cardinals, there were several occasions when the wide receiver made the superior grab. But, with the club rebuilding its roster under a new general manager and coach, and Hopkins carrying a $30 million salary cap hit while missing 15 of the previous 26 games due to suspension and injury, it made sense to move on from the soon-to-be 31-year-old.
Hopkins was released on Friday after weeks of rumours and the Cardinals’ inability to locate a trade partner.
The Cardinals will bear a $22.6 million dead salary cap charge in 2023, but he will be removed off the books after that.
Hopkins never publicly said that he wanted to leave, but he also never stated that he wanted to remain, and he has been ready to discuss other teams or quarterbacks with whom he was interested in playing on many occasions in national interviews.
Hopkins was asked earlier this week what he looks for in a team.
“What I want is stable management upstairs, which I haven’t really had in the last couple years of my career since moving from Houston to Arizona,” Hopkins said. “A quarterback who loves the game, a quarterback who rallies everyone around him, not just himself… and a great defence.” Championships are won by strong defences.”
Hopkins was acquired in 2020 along with a fourth-round selection for a second-round pick, running back David Johnson, and a future fourth-round pick. He set a club record with 115 receptions for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns, earning him second-team All-Pro honours.
In his second season, he missed seven games due to hamstring and then knee injuries, but he still scored eight touchdowns on 42 receptions for 572 yards in ten games. He was banned for the first six games of his third season in 2022 after testing positive for performance-enhancing substances.
He fared well in the nine games after his comeback, catching 64 passes for 717 yards and three touchdowns, but his stats fell when the Cardinals’ quarterbacks were injured, and then Hopkins sat out the last two games of the season due to knee concerns.
In his first eight seasons, Hopkins had only missed two games.
With Hopkins gone, Hollywood Brown is the Cardinals’ No. 1 receiver, followed by Rondale Moore, Zach Pascal, Greg Dortch, and third-round selection Michael Wilson on the depth chart.
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