Rocio Robles
The Arizona Cardinals were given a major setback on Monday, as they learned that DeAndre Hopkins, their standout receiver and one of the finest in the NFL over the last decade, will miss the season opener. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hopkins will miss the Cardinals’ first six games after receiving a suspension from the NFL for violating the league’s banned substance policy.
This is undoubtedly a blow to the aspirations of the Cardinals, who surely were already aware of the possible sanction, and that is why they acquired Marquise Brown from the Baltimore Ravens. Let’s recall that during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, which took place last Thursday, Brown arrived to Arizona, along with the 100th pick, in exchange for the 23rd pick.
The move initially made sense after Christian Kirk, one of Arizona’s top receivers last year, signed as a free agent with the Jaguars. But now, in the wake of Hopkins’ news, the move makes much more sense.
Hopkins missed the final six regular-season games and the NFC Wild Card Game last season due to a knee injury, but the five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro was expected to be healthy for the preseason.
With the absence of DeAndre Hopkins, the first passing option for Kyler Murray will be the experienced A.J. Green, who already played last season with the Cardinals and re-signed for one year last April. Brown, meanwhile, becomes the second choice, while Rondale Moore would occupy the third spot.
The numbers Arizona will miss without DeAndre Hopkins
DeAndre Hopkins always shows up at the appropriate time, despite playing with physical discomfort. He led the team with eight touchdown passes last season, despite totaling 572 yards in the 10 games he played in the regular season, which is extremely low by his standards.
Hopkins had already dazzled everyone at Arizona during his freshman year, 2020, when he caught 115 passes, totaled 1,407 yards and caught six touchdowns. He immediately became the best ally of a young Murray.
The 29-year-old receiver debuted in 2013 with the Houston Texans and during his nine NFL seasons he has 10,581 air yards and 68 TDs scored. He led the league in this category in 2017 with 13 and has totaled at least 1,000 yards through the air on six occasions.
He’s a real aerial scoring machine that the Cardinals’ offense will not be able to have in a division that appears to be very competitive, with the defending champs, the Los Angeles Rams, leading the way.
