Cardinals' DeAndre Hopkins Says He 'Doesn't Want a Raise' amid Trade Rumors

A fairly trustworthy source revealed Sunday that Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is not looking for a raise:

Hopkins is scheduled to make $19.5 million in base salary in 2023 and $14.9 million in base salary in 2024 before he hits free agency on his current contract.

Any reference to his contract is notable because ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Saturday on SportsCenter that it is something of a hurdle in trade discussions even though he "is largely expected to be on the move, either via trade or release."

"Teams I've talked to believe the Cardinals haven't really been willing to pay the salary," he said. "He has $19.5 million on the books. That's a little rich for some of the receiver-needy teams out there."

That Arizona is looking to move the five-time Pro Bowler comes as no surprise.

After all, he turns 31 years old in June and is an expensive veteran on a team in the middle of a reshuffling period with a new head coach (Jonathan Gannon) and new general manager (Monti Ossenfort). Throw in a torn ACL that is expected to sideline quarterback Kyler Murray for some of 2023, and immediate contention in the strong NFC West seems unlikely.

But other teams know that, and it may have cut into Arizona's leverage.

"The Cardinals' initial ask, to get a second-rounder and another asset for Hopkins, seems to have fallen flat, and there are teams waiting to see the price come down," Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported in March.

"To try to facilitate something, I'm told Arizona has granted teams permission to talk to Hopkins and his agents."

Where that leads remains to be seen, but there is still plenty to like about Hopkins despite his age and even if he missed a combined 15 games the last two seasons because of injuries and suspension.

He has six seasons of more than 1,100 receiving yards and three seasons of double-digit touchdown catches, including when he led the league with 13 touchdown catches in 2017. His ability to high-point passes makes him a dangerous red-zone threat, and he was still effective last year when he returned from his suspension.

In all, Hopkins finished last season with 64 catches for 717 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. Those are excellent numbers when extrapolated to a 17-game season, and he should be a top option for whichever team lands him this offseason.

Still, how much it will cost to land him has become something of a sticking point.