Cardinals HC on DeAndre Hopkins Amid Trade Rumors: 'Excited to Get to Work with Him'

The Arizona Cardinals have been shopping DeAndre Hopkins on the trade market, but new head coach Jonathan Gannon is preparing as if the five-time Pro Bowler will be on the roster.

"I'm operating that he's a Cardinal right now," Gannon told NFL Network's Steve Wyche on Monday. "So, I'm looking forward to getting in the meeting room and on the field with him and seeing where it can go. I just know he's an elite player. Being a defensive guy, I had to go up against him a couple times in the division. The challenges that he presents. I'm excited to get to work with him."

Hopkins has a $30 million salary-cap hit for the 2023 season, which is OK for the Cardinals given their significant space but also an outlandish total that could be spent elsewhere to fortify the roster. He recorded 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns in nine games in 2022 after coming back from a performance-enhancing drug suspension but has just 106 catches over his last 19 games.

The Cardinals are also likely heading into a transition year with quarterback Kyler Murray expected to miss a chunk of the 2023 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL.

Hopkins' massive salary was a necessary evil when the team was attempting to compete at the top of the NFC West, but Murray's injury clouded the vision. If the Cardinals can get a mid-draft pick and take a dead-cap hit this season, they could be better served by building around Murray for 2024 and beyond.