Cardinals release WR DeAndre Hopkins after three seasons

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals released wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on Friday, the team announced.

Hopkins’ future with the Cardinals had been in question since the end of the 2022 season due to his cap of $30.75 million, which ranked among the NFL’s top receivers and seventh overall .

Hopkins, 30, had been the center of trade speculation for months, but the Cardinals did not trade the wide receiver in the NFL Draft in April. General manager Monti Ossenfort said at the time, “DeAndre is a cardinal, and we are moving forward.”

The Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots were among the teams reportedly interested in pursuing Hopkins.

Hopkins skipped the Cardinals’ volunteer-hosted team activities this month, saying on the “I Am Athlete” podcast with Brandon Marshall that he was in Toronto training instead.

During his three seasons at Arizona, Hopkins had 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns on 221 receptions, including 64 catches for a team-leading 717 yards and three touchdowns last year. Hopkins missed the first six games of the 2022 season after being suspended for violating the NFL’s drug policy.

Without Hopkins, the Cardinals wide receiver corps will be led by Marquise Brown (67 catches for 709 yards in 2022), Greg Dortch (52 catches, 467 yards) and Rondale Moore (41 catches, 414 yards).

Hopkins was traded to the Cardinals in March 2020 from the Houston Texans with a fourth-round pick for running back David Johnson, a second-round pick that year and a fourth-round pick in 2021.