DeAndre Hopkins wants to be traded, and the team he most covets are the Dallas Cowboys.
The Arizona Cardinals wide receiver said last week on The Pat McAfee Show that he’s focused on the present amid trade rumors this offseason.
“Obviously, you know, I’ve been hearing a lot of trade talks,” Hopkins told A.J. Hawk and Pat McAfee on The Pat McAfee Show. “I take things day for day, man. I don’t look forward to the future. I live in the present moment. Right now, the Arizona Cardinals is the team and the roster that I’m on and I’m preparing myself for whatever the future holds. I don’t really look forward to the future. I let you guys do that talk.”
Micah Parsons did his best to try and get Hopkins on the team by publicly recruiting him.
Parsons reaching out should send a clear message to Hopkins that he’s wanted on the team.
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So, how did Hopkins respond? His emoji use indicates there hasn’t been much dialogue between the Cowboys and Cardinals.
This comes after Hopkins made an appearance on Instagram live with Dez Bryant last week.
“I keep hearing y’all say my name around here,” Hopkins said on IG live with Bryant “What’s up? Talk to me.”
Wanting to be on the team and it actually being possible are two different things.
This offseason, the Cardinals made huge changes as they are under new management with general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Gannon stated last month at the NFL Scouting Combine that he wasn’t sure if Hopkins would be on the team in 2023.
“We are evaluating everyone,” Gannon said, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “I know this: He’s a premier receiver you have to have a plan for [to defend]. He limits you with how you have to play defense. … He’s a valuable asset for us.”
Hopkins has two years remaining on his deal, which carries salary-cap numbers of $30.8 million in 2023 and $26.2 million in 2024, per Over the Cap.
The soon-to-be 31-year-old caught 64 passes for 717 yards and three scores in nine games last season. His nubers were down after he missed the first six games after the NFL suspended him for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
The Cardinals are coming off a 4-13 season. Things are unlikely to be any better this year as starting quarterback Kyler Murray suffered a torn ACL last year, and it’s possible he will miss games in 2023.
