3 Instant Reactions to DeAndre Hopkins' Cardinals Release After Trade Rumors

In a surprise twist, the Arizona Cardinals aren't getting anything for DeAndre Hopkins.

The team announced on Friday it released the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver. He wasn't expected to play for the Cardinals in 2023, but letting him go instead of trading him away for future assets does seem strange.

Hopkins was still a productive player last season with 64 receptions, 717 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. He sat out the first six games of the year due to a suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

While Hopkins figures out the next step in his career, here are some takeaways from the Cardinals' decision to move on from the 10-year veteran.

Hopkins' Contract Made a Trade Difficult

Given how long trade rumors have been following Hopkins around, and when nothing happened with him during the draft, it's safe to assume the answer to why this situation took so long to reach a resolution was related to finances.

Hopkins' contract for the 2023 season included a $19.45 million base salary and $30.7 million cap hit. No other wide receiver in the league was going to have a cap hit of at least $30 million.

The Chicago Bears would have been the only team with enough cap space to fit Hopkins' contract onto their books without having to make any adjustments.

Chicago could certainly use more receiver help even after acquiring DJ Moore from the Carolina Panthers, but investing in an aging soon-to-be 31-year-old player isn't the best use of resources for a team that still has a lot of holes on the roster.

Arizona's Rebuild Is Going to Be Fine

There might be a feeling of disappointment from Cardinals fans that their front office was unable to get anything for Hopkins.

Realistically, though, what were they hoping to get?

We already discussed Hopkins' contract situation, which limited his value on the market. He's at an age when most wide receivers are declining from their physical peak.

Speaking of a physical decline, Hopkins has only been able to play 19 games over the past two seasons. He missed eight of Arizona's final 10 games during the 2021 season, including the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, due to hamstring and knee injuries.

Hopkins sat out the final two games last season due to a knee injury.

The Cardinals turned the page on the previous era when they hired Monti Ossenfort as general manager and Jonathan Gannon as head coach.

Ossenfort hit a home run in the draft when he was able to parlay the Houston Texans' desire for Will Anderson Jr. into a trade that landed the Cardinals an extra first-round pick from Houston in 2024.

ESPN's Football Power Index gives the Cardinals and Texans the best odds to earn the No. 1 draft pick next year. It's not unreasonable to think Arizona could end up with the top two picks.

If that happens, the Cardinals could have their next skill-position core in place with Caleb Williams at quarterback and Marvin Harrison Jr. at wide receiver. They could also use one or both picks on the trade market for a significant return.

Regardless of what happened with Hopkins, the door to Arizona's future was unlocked with that draft-day trade with the Texans. An extra third- or fourth-round pick for Hopkins would have been better than nothing, but it doesn't change the franchise's trajectory.

Bills Need to Call Hopkins ASAP

Hopkins and the Buffalo Bills haven't exactly been hiding their mutual affection for one another.

During a recent appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast, Hopkins cited Josh Allen first when asked which quarterbacks he would like to have throwing him the football.

Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert were the others listed by Hopkins.

Bills defensive end Von Miller has said multiple times this offseason that Hopkins has told him he wants to be in Buffalo.

Miller offered his reaction on Twitter upon seeing Hopkins was released:

The Bills' attempt to elevate Gabriel Davis to the No. 2 wide receiver last season didn't work. He was fine with 836 yards and seven touchdowns on 48 receptions, but week-to-week consistency wasn't there for the 24-year-old.

Davis had eight games with fewer than 40 receiving yards in 2022. Stefon Diggs had 61 more targets and 60 more receptions than anyone else on Buffalo's roster last season.

There will almost certainly be competition for Hopkins' services. The Baltimore Ravens have been circling as a potential landing spot, especially in the wake of Hopkins saying on the same podcast he praised Allen that it "would be an honor" to play with Jackson.

The New York Jets were in the market for Odell Beckham Jr. before he signed a one-year deal with the Ravens.

Aaron Rodgers is notoriously picky about what he wants from his receivers. The Jets have already brought in his former teammates, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb.

Hopkins hasn't played with Rodgers, but his route running and strong hands to win contested catches would likely make for an easy adjustment.

There's also the element of gamesmanship going on with the Bills and Jets. They are expected to be fighting it out, along with the Miami Dolphins, for the top spot in the AFC East.

Hopkins could be a potential difference-maker for either Buffalo or New York if he stays healthy in 2023.