The Cardinals lost a significant member of their offense before the 2022 season even began when it was announced that DeAndre Hopkins would miss the first six games of the campaign due to a PED suspension. The wideout originally withdrew his appeal of the ban, but he remains hopeful that its length can ultimately be reduced. 
When speaking publicly for the first time since the suspension was handed down, Hopkins said, “We’re still doing some research right now” (video link via 12News’ Cameron Clark). “Hopefully, before the season starts, maybe we can get the games down a little bit. But no, it wasn’t on me. I’m a natural. I’m pretty much a naturopathic kind of person… And what it was, it was called Ostarine, and there was 0.1% of it found in my system.
“I don’t take any supplements… I barely take vitamins. So for something like that to happen to me, obviously, I was shocked. But my team and I, we’re still trying to figure out what’s going on.”
Kevin Patra of NFL.com notes that any reduction is “unlikely” at this point, given that the official announcement of the suspension would have been made after the opportunity for an appeal had come and gone. It remains all-but guaranteed, then, that Arizona will be without the three-time All-Pro to begin the season, extending his absence from the field dating back to the injuries which kept him sidelined at the end of the 2021 campaign.
Hopkins is confident that he will be fully recovered by the time he is eligible to return. In the meantime, the Cardinals will rely on Marquise Brown, whom they traded for at the draft, and former second-rounder Rondale Moore, who flashed potential as a rookie last year. Upon his return, Hopkins will add to that pass-catching corps, giving Arizona a chance to take a step forward in terms of offensive consistency throughout the season.
Ah yes, the classic defense of “Well it wasn’t a steroid on google so why am I getting whacked for it.
Right, it wasn’t my fault, I don’t know how it happened lol
Must’ve drank from somebody’s tainted water bottle.
This is so overplayed. You put it in your body, you knew what it was, you got caught. STFU, serve your suspension, and get back on the field.
I think it’s possible you can not know .1% of something gets into your body, but you just have to own it. Qualifying your “I wasn’t trying to cheat” with “but I’m willing to accept I made a mistake” anyways would go a long way in my minf.
What does .1% even mean? .1% BAC is considered legally intoxicated so there is a need to understand the context. Sure it sounds like a minuscule amount but it really isn’t.
Having .1 of a percent is different than your reference to .1 in regards to BAC, which is really 10%.
.1 BAC is not 10%. you woulda been dead a long time before 10% of your blood being alcohol guy. Come on.
He made the mistake of calling Roger Clemens for PR advice rather than Andy Pettitte.
Both cheated, both lied, but their lies were accepted differently.
I love how he mentioned in the full clip about something like “if you know anything about biology” or whatever he said “then you know this is likely contamination”.
That has to be the dumbest excuse. Own up, man up.
DeAndre Hopkins is the last person to be lecturing anyone on biology lol
Also worth noting he went to Clemson, where this substance was recently involved in suspensions.
Coincidence? Nah.
He left the school almost a decade ago.
Is the head coach still the same? Maybe check that first then get back to me.
Why would that be more relevant than it being a substance some football players take? You think he’s getting PEDs from his college coaching staff almost a decade later?
I’d say his relationship with his coach or coaching staff and people he has trusted before could indeed have brought him to try the banned substance.
It’s not some wild conspiracy, to think there could be a link between the two where there could be a common supplier between himself and Clemson or the other way around.