Cardinals GM 'Hopeful' DeAndre Hopkins Can Return from Knee Injury for Playoffs

Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said during an appearance on 98.7 Arizona Sports' Burns & Gambo show that he is "hopeful" star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins can return from a knee injury for the playoffs, per Darren Urban of the team's website. 

Keim noted that Hopkins is set to undergo a procedure but is unsure when the veteran can return. 

The GM's comments come after ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler reported that Hopkins' sprained knee was likely to keep him sidelined for the final four games of the regular season. 

The 29-year-old suffered the injury in Monday's 30-23 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. With time winding down in the fourth quarter, two Rams defenders landed on Hopkins' leg as he went up to catch a pass in the end zone.

Hopkins also missed three games earlier this season with a hamstring ailment. Despite the missed time, he still leads the team with eight touchdowns and ranks third with 572 receiving yards. 

Even if Hopkins misses the remainder of the regular season, Keim believes the team's depth behind the three-time All-Pro is "exceptional."

"When you look at guys like Christian Kirk and A.J. Green, and it's not just the receiver position. To me, you look at different spots, like Zach Ertz who we added via trade. You look at the two backs that we have, are excellent catching the ball out of the backfield, as well as Eno (Benjamin) running the football."

"So a lot of different weapons on this offense that I think can certainly pick up the load. It's tough to lose a guy like Hop, but at the same time, I think that there's a number of guys who can step up and perform at a high level."

Kirk leads the team with 53 catches for 718 yards and has also scored four touchdowns. Green ranks second with 42 catches for 654 yards, in addition to three scores. Ertz, who was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier in the season after Maxx Williams went down with a knee injury, has 28 catches for 321 yards and three scores in seven games for the Cardinals. 

Arizona's receiving corps should get a boost whenever running back Chase Edmonds returns, as he has missed the last three games with an ankle injury.

The Cardinals enter Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions (1-11-1) with a 10-3 record, the best in the NFC West. They finish the season with matchups against the Indianapolis Colts (7-6), Dallas Cowboys (9-4) and Seattle Seahawks (5-8). So even if Hopkins doesn't return before then, the team should fair just fine, especially with quarterback Kyler Murray playing at a high level.