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.

It came out yesterday that DeAndre Hopkins will miss more than a third of the 2022 season due to a violation of the NFL’s PED policy. As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes, his return from suspension will play a large role in affecting his future with the Cardinals beyond the coming campaign. 

[RELATED: Hopkins Suspended Six Games For PED Violation]

The 29-year-old was everything the Cardinals would have asked for in his first year after being traded by the Texans. He put up his third-highest career total in terms of receiving yards with 1,407, adding six touchdowns on 115 receptions. Part of the reason he was able to do that was the fact that he was available for the entire season. As of the beginning of the 2021 campaign, Hopkins had missed only two games in his career.

That changed last year, though. He missed a combined total of seven contests in the regular season, as well as the team’s playoff loss to the Rams. His absence down the stretch was caused by a torn MCL, and had a dramatic impact on the team’s offense. The suspension means that, by the time Hopkins his eligible to return, he will have been sidelined for 14 of Arizona’s 16 most recent games.

Breer confirms that, as many expected, the knowledge of Hopkins’ impending suspension contributed to “the Cardinals’ pursuit of, and eventual trade for” Marquise Brown. More importantly, though, Breer also notes the financial ramifications of keeping Hopkins beginning in 2023. At that point, his salary is scheduled to jump from $6.65MM to just under $19.5MM, while his cap hit will spike to over $30MM. The 2024 season would, as his contract is currently structured, be similarly expensive.

Between that, and the uncertainty which will surround the five-time Pro Bowler regarding his recovery, Breer writes that “how the back end of 2022 goes for him could go a long way to determining where his career goes thereafter”. That statement would have been much more surprising 24 hours ago, but now, the degree to which it could hold true will be a storyline worth watching throughout the year.

Cardinals wide DeAndre Hopkins is expected to miss the rest of the regular season (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). On the plus side, doctors are hopeful that his knee sprain will heal up at some point during the playoffs.

Hopkins, 29, suffered the injury towards the tail end of Monday night’s loss to the Rams. This will mark Hopkins’ second extended absence of the year, after he previously missed three games with a hamstring injury. To date, he’s got 42 catches for 572 yards and eight touchdowns on the season.

In his initial season with the Cardinals, Hopkins played the entire year, posting the kind of numbers (115 catches for 1407 yards and six touchdowns) that the five-time Pro Bowler has become known for throughout his career. With another year of chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray, along with the offseason additions made to the offense, expectations were high for him to continue at his impressive pace.

While the team will certainly miss him for the stretch run of the regular season, the Cardinals can clinch a postseason berth as early as this week against the Lions. Their other main weapons in the passing game – Christian Kirk, midseason acquisition Zach Ertz, along with resurgent veteran A.J. Green and rookie Rondale Moore should be able to maintain Arizona’s potent attack, especially with a healthy Murray.

Hopkins signed a two year extension to his existing contract with Arizona upon being traded by the Texans. His cap number is set to jump from $7MM this year to $12.5MM next season, climbing further still to a maximum of $27.2MM in 2023. The deal ends after the 2024 season, when he will be 32.