The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, and there weren’t many big trades of players already in the league compared to other years. Easily the biggest one was the Philadelphia Eagles landing Detroit Lions running back D’Andre Swift in a trade, but that was the biggest news in that category.
Many people DeAndre Hopkins to move on, but it never happened.
Hopkins is a highly talented wide receiver who has been playing in the NFL for several years. In March 2020, he was traded from the Houston Texans to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for running back David Johnson, a second-round draft pick, and a fourth-round draft pick. The trade was widely criticized by many NFL experts and fans, who felt that the Texans did not receive enough value in exchange for one of the best wide receivers in the league.
Hopkins is still a dynamic player, but the Cardinals have been unable to find a trade partner.
During his customary appearance on “Up & Adams” with Kay Adams, former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski talked about the positives and negatives when it comes to Hopkins.
“He’s in a tough situation because he’s a little bit older. I think he got hurt the last year or two so that’s always a liability in the NFL world and also he has a very expensive contract for about $23, $24 million,” Gronkowski said of Hopkins.
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Gronkowski then projected Hopkins to remain in the desert with the Arizona Cardinals. The only way he sees him gone is if the Buffalo Bills part ways with Stefon Diggs.
Cardinals’ new GM Monti Ossenfort did make a big trade with the Houston Texans, but it had to do with the No. 3 pick in the draft and not Hopkins returning to the team that drafted him.
Asked about the receiver, Ossenfort shut down any notion that Arizona wants to move on from him.
“I don’t foresee that happening,” Ossenfort said Thursday night. “I don’t know what is going to happen here in the next couple of days. Right now, I don’t foresee that happening, no.
“DeAndre’s a Cardinal, and we’re moving forward.”
This past season, Hopkins played in limited games after he was hit with a PED suspension that kept him out the first six games. The previous season, injuries didn’t allow him to have the same production. In total, Hopkins played just 19 games in the last two years.
The best ability is availability.
Now that Hopkins looks like he will remain in the desert, the franchise is staring at Hopkins’ $54.5 million he is still owed over the next two seasons on the books.
Hard pill to swallow but they have no choice but to honor it.
