The Arizona Cardinals released DeAndre Hopkins on Friday, ending a tenure in the desert that lasted three seasons and a total of 35 games for the three-time All-Pro.
Though among the most productive wideouts — he was the fifth-most-heavily-used wide receiver in the league (34.8% of the Cardinals' receiving yards) for the weeks that he played in 2022 — Hopkins was scheduled to have a cap hit of $30.8 million this season, which would've been the highest for any wide receiver in the NFL.
His $19.45 million salary — though not guaranteed — was prohibitive for interested teams that wanted to rework his contract or requested that Arizona pay part of the salary.
Odell Beckham Jr. signing for $15 million guaranteed with Baltimore made taking less even tougher for Hopkins, who is healthier and more productive.