TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals released wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on Friday, the team announced. Hopkins' future with the Cardinals had been in question since the end of the 2022 season because of his team-high $30.75 million cap hit, which ranked tops among wide receivers in the NFL and was seventh highest overall.
Hopkins, 30, had been at the center of trade speculation for months, but the Cardinals didn't deal the wide receiver during April's NFL draft.
Said general manager Monti Ossenfort at the time: «DeAndre's a Cardinal, and we're moving forward.» The Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots had been among the teams reportedly interested in pursuing Hopkins.
Hopkins skipped the Cardinals' voluntary organized team activities this month, saying on the «I Am Athlete» podcast with Brandon Marshall that he was instead in Toronto to work out.