DeAndre Hopkins Released By Cardinals After Three Seasons: What Are Factors Involved In The Cut?

By breaking ties with DeAndre Hopkins, the Arizona Cardinals pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the NFL offseason. After failing to locate a trade partner for the outstanding wide receiver, the Arizona team made the announcement that he had been released.

Hopkins is now free to sign with any team he chooses following his release. Hopkins signed an extension when he was dealt to the Cardinals in 2020, and the final two years of that agreement have cap numbers of $29,988,890 in 2023 and $25,453,886 in 2024. With Hopkins’ release, Arizona will save $8,911,114 in cap space while saving $21,077,776 in dead cap.

DeAndre Hopkins Released By Cardinals After Three Seasons: What Are Factors Involved In The Cut?

The decision was made a few months after Jordan Schultz of The Score reported that Hopkins may be traded by the Cardinals. Hopkins’ retention wasn’t ideal for either party, as Arizona was trying to restructure their squad in an effort to rebuild following a 4-13 campaign.

After the splashy trade that brought Hopkins and Kyler Murray together in the first place, Hopkins, who had 64 catches for 717 yards and three scores in 2017 and 221 catches for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns in his Cardinals career, got off to a good start.

However, injuries limited him in 2021 after he hauled in 115 receptions in 2020. His performance with the squad decreased, and it is obvious that the Cardinals are in the process of rebuilding.

If there was ever a moment to take a loss, it would be this season since the Cardinals are a losing club in 2023.

For a club wanting to clear cap space and completely rebuild, that is important. When the extension was signed, Hopkins was more productive, had less injuries in the rear-view mirror, and the Cardinals thought they were competing for the NFC West.

Hopkins was selected by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and he played for them for the first seven years of his career. In exchange for running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round selection, and a 2021 fourth-round pick, he was moved to the Cardinals in 2020.

Hopkins caught 221 catches for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns in 35 games for the Cardinals.


 

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