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The Arizona Cardinals made a bold decision during the NFL offseason by parting ways with star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The franchise announced the release on Friday.
Hopkins is now free to choose and sign with any team he wants. Currently, the 30-year-old has salary caps of $29,988,890 for 2023 and $25,453,886 for 2024, representing the remaining two years of the contract extension he had signed upon being traded to the Cardinals in 2020.
In NFL history, Hopkins ranks eighth for the most receiving yards in a player’s first ten seasons. He also holds the fourth position for the most receiving yards in a player’s initial decade.
Despite playing only nine games last season, Hopkins maintained impressive statistics, averaging 7.1 catches per game (fourth in the NFL) and 79.7 receiving yards per game (10th in the NFL). Throughout his 10-year NFL career, he has been recognized as a first-team All-Pro three times and selected for the Pro Bowl five times.
Now that Hopkins is a free agent, he can consider the teams that intrigue him and the quarterbacks he prefers to play with. Hopkins recently revealed a list of quarterbacks he would like to team up with, including Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts and Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert.
In a recent episode of the popular sports podcast hosted by former NFL players I AM ATHLETE, Hopkins voiced his desire for stable management in the front office. He believes this element was missing from his experiences with the Houston Texans and Cardinals.
“What I want is stable management upstairs,” Hopkins said. “I think that’s something that I haven’t really had the last two years of my career coming from Houston and then Arizona.”
Hopkins also emphasized the importance of having a quarterback who is passionate about the game, as well as a strong defense.
“I’ve been through three or four GMs in my career, so stable management. A QB who loves the game, a QB who takes everyone on board with him and pushes not only himself but everyone around him,” Hopkins said. “And great defense. Great defense wins championships.”
In the coming days, Hopkins will have the opportunity to explore and pursue these criteria as he searches for the right fit in his next team.
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