Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is seeking out a trade to join a contender for the 2023 season. While multiple NFL teams are interested in Hopkins, there appears to be a universal concern regarding acquiring him.
Hopkins, who turns 31 in June, served a six-game suspension this past season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. The six-game ban wiped out the no-trade clause in his contract, allowing Arizona to dictate what team he could be playing for next season.
- DeAndre Hopkins stats (2022): 64 receptions, 717 receiving yards, 35 first downs
A five-time All-Pro selection, Hopkins has also missed significant times over the past two years due to injuries. After averaging 1,332 receiving yards per season (2015-’20), the 6-foot-1 wideout has totaled just 1,289 receiving yards in his last 19 games.
Related: DeAndre Hopkins trade expected to net small return for Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals want to move on from Hopkins as they head into a rebuild. With Kyler Murray expected to miss the start of the 2023 season and a new regime brought in, Arizona is in a transition year. Trading Hopkins would create more than $25 million in cap space for 2024. While the Cardinals are very willing to move him, though, NFL teams have had one issue in talks.
According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, the NFL teams who have expressed interest in acquiring Hopkins are all having some pause over his contract. While Arizona would be responsible for some of his guarantees, any NFL team that trades for Hopkins owes him $19.45 million.
- DeAndre Hopkins contract: $29.988 million cap hit (2023), $25.45 million cap hit (’24)
Related: Arizona Cardinals set massive asking price for DeAndre Hopkins trade
It’s a significant price to pay for a wide receiver who played in just 19 games over the last two seasons, with a history of soft-tissue injuries. Arizona’s asking price in a trade only adds to the net cost, which is the hurdle that has prevented a deal from coming together to this point.
The Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens are all believed to be in the mix for Hopkins. However, a resolution might be imminent and one of the suitors could drop out if they sign Odell Beckham Jr. It’s possible Hopkins isn’t traded until the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft on April 28.