Arizona Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins has been in the midst of trade rumors since the end of the 2022 season. Despite him missing out on games in the last two seasons with injuries and suspension for not abiding by the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy, he is still one of the best WRs in the league at the moment. And there are many teams who are in need of a competent WR for their roster.

The Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans were seen as the foreseeable future teams for Hopkins, but his trade still remains without any conclusion. And there might be a crucial factor that has hampered the WR’s exit from Arizona. What could that possibly be?

The eight-figure issue surrounding the trade of DeAndre Hopkins

Hopkins has a salary cap of $30.75 million, which is also the highest among wide receivers in the league. He has base salaries of $19.45 million and $14.92 million over the next two seasons. At first glance, this might not seem that big of a monetary deal for franchises, but according to NFL inside Adam Schefter, this is exactly the root cause as to why the Hopkins trade is still shrouded with uncertainty. 

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Odell Beckham Jr recently signed a one-year $15 million deal with the Ravens with up to $3 million in incentives. Schefter said that Hopkins will be wanting something of the same sort if he is traded, considering his abilities on the field in comparison to OBJ. He said, “So DeAndre Hopkins sees Odell Beckham Jr get $15 million dollars and think well I’ve produced at a level like that more so. I’ve been good as any receiver in the league. That’s what he thinks he should be worth. But teams around the league have balked at paying him that right now.” 

Schefter feels that Hopkin’s salary is something franchises do not want to pick up at the moment. So what could be the possible options for the Cardinals with their WR?

The potential routes the Cardinals can take with Hopkins

For the time being, DeAndre Hopkins is still a Cardinals WR. This means the franchise takes a major drawback in acquiring players to build a competitive roster. However, a trade for the WR would mean that the Cardinals save $8.15 million in cap space but will have $22.6 million in dead money. The team could also choose to release the player as a post-June 1 release, as it would save $19.45 million in cap space. But it also means they would not get anything tangible in return for an elite receiver who still has a lot to give on the field. 

While the Cardinals figure out the best possible route to take in their Hopkins dilemma, fans will be waiting in anticipation to see what the future holds for the 30-year-old WR.

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