With the Arizona Cardinals headed toward a retooling process, if not a full-on rebuilding effort, we’re seeing veterans jump ship. J.J. Watt has already retired, and DeAndre Hopkins may have a withstanding trade request on the table, hoping to join a contender instead.
Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowl receiver who has been named to three All-Pro teams, is still just 30 and is plenty capable of being a No. 1 receiver for half of the teams in the NFL, if not more. But with Kyler Murray set to miss a portion of the season as he recovers from offseason ACL surgery, Hopkins may not want to stick around for however long it takes for the Cardinals to get back to contention.
Instead, Hopkins’ rumored trade request makes a lot of sense. In fact, Hopkins himself even addressed the ongoing trade rumors while making an appearance on the All Things Covered podcast.
Hopkins was asked to use non-verbal communication cues to indicate whether he would or wouldn’t like to join a specific team. This bit was well-done, as it included several franchises who either have a key need at the position or have been linked to the Cardinals All-Pro in the past.
It started with, “If the Cardinals want to trade you…” how about the New England Patriots?
Hopkins didn’t have a big reaction, kind of looking off to the side, like he wasn’t too interested in joining Bill Belichick’s effort to return to the playoffs. This comes after a clip involving Belichick and Hopkins went viral, with the coach expressing his appreciation and respect for one of the game’s top receivers. But that interest doesn’t appear to be mutual.
Next, Hopkins was asked about joining Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs on the Buffalo Bills as they look to exorcise their AFC Championship demons. To this, Hopkins nodded a few times with a smile on his face, a clear indication that this idea intrigues the South Carolina native.
The next team was the New York Jets, to which Hopkins had a similar response to when he was asked about the Patriots. This time he looked down at his feet, appearing disinterested in joining Aaron Rodgers and Co. in the Big Apple.
Lastly, Hopkins was asked about joining the defending Super Bowl champions, partnering with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes as he looks for another reliable receiving weapon in addition to Travis Kelce. This idea caused Hopkins to perk his ears up, smiling and nodding a few times again, which seems to suggest he’d love to be a part of the Chiefs too.
Keep in mind, Hopkins was only asked about four teams, so it’s quite possible there are several others on his list, yet don’t expect ‘Nuk, who has made the playoffs just four times in his career, to join a non-contender. You can watch the full clip here.
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DeAndre Hopkins doesn’t want a raise
One of the other potential roadblocks preventing a trade out of Arizona has centered on whether DeAndre Hopkins is seeking a bigger contract this offseason. Hopkins is signed through 2024 and has a cap hit of $30.7 million this season, and $26.1 million next year.
But Hopkins denies these suggestions, letting everyone know he does not want a raise, whether he’s traded to a new team or not.
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