Report: Trade talks for 1 star WR are ‘ramping up’
Feb 1, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; The NFL shield logo is seen at midfield at SoFi Stadium. Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals will be played on Feb. 13, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
One of the NFL’s best wide receivers could soon be playing for a new team.
Trade talks surrounding Arizona Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins are “ramping up,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
As the status of #AZCardinals star WR DeAndre Hopkins comes into focus, talks are ramping up among the interested teams, sources say. Similar to Brandin Cooks, a trade would likely mean an altered contract.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 21, 2023
Hopkins has a $30.75 million cap hit for 2023 and $26.2 million cap hit in 2024. As Rapoport mentioned, Hopkins will likely have to agree to a restructured contract to help facilitate a trade, which is what Brandin Cooks did last week when he was traded from the Houston Texans to the Dallas Cowboys.
After the season, Hopkins shared what seemed like a farewell message to the Cardinals on social media. He hinted at one point that he would like to play for the Cowboys, but that is probably no longer an option now with Cooks in Dallas. The 30-year-old has been linked to at least one other WR-needy team.
Hopkins has six seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards in his 10-year NFL career. He had 64 catches for 717 yards and 3 touchdowns in 9 games last season after serving a 6-game suspension to start the year.
