02 June 2023 , 21:49
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After months of speculation about his future, DeAndre Hopkins was suddenly released by the Arizona Cardinals last week.
The wide receiver has been linked with a trade for some time, with many speculating that the franchise could use Hopkins to their advantage during the 2023 NFL Draft. Hopkins remains a desired option around the NFL, but the wide receiver is now an unrestricted free agent after the Cardinals decided to cut all ties with the 30-year-old.
Hopkins is now free to speak to other teams regarding his immediate future, but the Cardinals have finally justified the decision. Head coach Jonathan Gannon was only hired by the franchise in February, but has explained why they let Hopkins go for nothing.
"Yeah, just all the factors that were in play, we just felt that it was the best thing for the team to play with who we have," Gannon said on Thursday to NFL.com "Yeah, it’s really no big deal to me.
"We were operating on the premise that he was going to be here, and now we’re not. So, we’re moving on. I’m very pleased with our receivers right now. If you carve out a role for yourself, we’ll use you in that role."
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The Cardinals have Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch, Zach Pascal, and 2023 third-round pick Michael Wilson at wide receiver on their current roster. But the release of Hopkins means they currently have $26.67 million remaining in cap space to potentially bring in a fresh talent.
Gannon has already been faced with some tough decisions (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)Hopkins joined the Cardinals from the Houston Texans in 2020, and scored 17 touchdowns in three seasons. NFL fans didn't see much of Hopkins last season as the receiver was suspended for the first six games of the campaign due to a violation of the league's performance-enhancing drugs policy.
But the receiver appears to be happy with the Cardinals' decision, after firing a subtle dig their way on the IAmAthlete podcast. "What I want is stable management upstairs," Hopkins said. "I think that’s something I haven’t really had the past couple years of my career coming from Houston (Texans) to being in Arizona.
Hopkins is free to talk to new teams after being released (Michael Owens/Getty Images)"I’ve been through three to four GMs through my career. So stable management — a QB who loves the game. A QB who brings everybody on board with him and pushes not just himself, but people around him. I don’t need a great QB. I’ve done it with subpar QBs — just a QB who loves the game like I do."
Hopkins also didn't seem confident about when Kyler Murray would return, with the quarterback suffering a season-ending injury last campaign. "I think Kyler is a quarterback who loves the game as well," said Hopkins.
"But he’s injured. So right now, for me, I’m playing with Colt McCoy, who I love. So who knows? Right now, I don’t have a Pro Bowl quarterback."