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DeAndre Hopkins Trade to Cardinals Given Best Transaction Award by Analytics Group
April 12, 2021
The Arizona Cardinals were awarded "Transaction of the Year" at the 2021 MIT Sloan Sports Conference for their trade for DeAndre Hopkins on Friday.
The Cardinals traded running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for Hopkins and a 2020 fourth-round pick.
The deal was seen as a massive steal for Arizona at the time, a narrative that only became more apparent as Hopkins continued to produce like one of the best receivers in football. Hopkins recorded 115 receptions for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns in 2020, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors.
Pro Football Focus gave Hopkins an 87.1 overall grade for the season.
The Texans later traded a second-round pick for wideout Brandin Cooks, essentially leaving them with Johnson, Cooks and little else to show for Hopkins. It appears Hopkins' departure came in large part due to a falling out with coach Bill O'Brien, who was fired only four games into the 2020 season, further exacerbating the issues in Houston.
It's borderline impossible to find a better bang-for-the-buck move in sports, making the Cardinals a fitting winner of the award.
There was no Worst Transaction award given out, but suffice it to say the Texans would have probably run away with that honor.