The Arizona Cardinals have finally made a decision surrounding their WR DeAndre Hopkins. After being rumored to be in the trade blocks in the offseason, the team recently decided to release Hopkins after failing to find a suitable partner for trade negotiations. With the Cardinals undergoing a roster restructuring under new GM Monti Ossenfort and HC Jonathan Gannon, the team has a different plan for the future, a plan that does not fit DeAndre Hopkins on the roster.

Prior to the Hopkins dilemma this offseason, the team also signed a five-year $230 million contract extension with their QB Kyler Murray last year. And with Hopkins becoming a free agent, what does the financial situation look like for the Cardinals?

The Cardinals tank $22 million dead money with the release of DeAndre Hopkins

After signing such an expensive contract with their QB Murray, retaining Hopkins made no sense. Another addition to this is the fact that Kyler Murray is still recovering from a torn ACL injury, while likely to miss out on a good chunk of the 2023 season. This meant that the Cardinals needed to free up cap space in order to figure out their plan B until Murray recovers. They have already brought in QB Clayton Tune in the fifth round of the 2023 Draft.

With DeAndre Hopkins now a free agent, the Cardinals have tanked up to eat around $22 million in dead cap while saving around $8 million in cap space. Prior to his release, many assumed that Hopkins will be released as a post-June 1 designation. But with teams limited to two per year, they have already used that designation on JJ Watt and Rodney Hudson. This means that instead of spreading out the dead cap evenly with $11 million this year and $11 million next year, the Cardinals have decided to let Hopkins off the books and tank the hit this year itself. This means that the team can focus on building a better competitive roster in 2024.

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Furthermore, his $19.5 million salary cap made it difficult for the team to trade Hopkins. While Hopkins is now a free agent, which team has the highest chance of acquiring this 31-year-old WR?

Where could Hopkins land for his future?

While Hopkins missed most of the 2022 season with injuries and suspension, his 2020 season with a franchise record of 115 passes for 1,407 yards with six touchdowns is also his personal best. Despite battling with injuries, he is still considered to be one of the best WRs in the game. The New England Patriots have recently signed Juju Smith-Schuster, and Hopkins could definitely be an upgrade for the team in terms of wide receivers, and also give Mac Jones more options. The Detroit Lions also have a cap space of around $23 million. And given QB Jared Goff’s performance, the team could proceed to go all out to surround him with more offensive weapons on the field. Hopkins to team up with Jameson Williams’ pace to give Goff more depth and target at the receiver’s position.

Where do you think Hopkins fits best for the 2023 season? Let us know in the comments below. 

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