Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been suspended for the first six games of the 2022 NFL season for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs according to league officials.
Hopkins reportedly produced a positive test result for a banned substance as well as a masking agent/attempt to substitute or manipulate a test according to a league spokesperson. The star wideout has already withdrawn his appeal of the suspension.
The league confirmed that “Hopkins is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games. He will be allowed to return to the Cardinals’ active roster following the team’s sixth regular-season game.”
The 29 year old missed 7 games for the Cardinals in 2021 due to a variety of injuries, including a torn MCL which ultimately required surgery. During that span, Arizona went 3-4 and were quickly ousted from the postseason by their divisional rivals, the Los Angeles Rams.
With the suspension now official, newly acquired wideout Marquise Brown will be counted on to shoulder an even larger offensive load than previously anticipated. Only a few days prior, many viewed Brown as a replacement for Christian Kirk who left via free agency this offseason. Now “Hollywood” could be the Cardinals WR1 in the early stages of the 2022 campaign.
A three time All-Pro and five time Pro Bowler, Hopkins has accumulated 1,979yds and 14TDs in 26 games with the Cardinals to date. Prior to arriving in the desert, the former Texans receiver had missed only 2 games through the first 8 seasons of his career. Now however, coming off surgery and a suspension, Hopkins is looking at missing 11 consecutive contests for the Cardinals.
The announcement adds yet another chapter to what’s been a wild offseason thus far for Arizona. After starting out 7-0 in 2021, the team won only 4 of their next 11 contests.
This caused many Cardinals fans to wonder whether the roster and coaching staff the franchise had in place were actually capable of capturing a Lombardi Trophy. As narratives around head coach Kliff Kingsbury, and starting quarterback Kyler Murray began to take shape, Murray scrubbed his social media accounts of any reference to the Cardinals organization. This only added more fuel to the fire as storylines went from local media outlets to national headlines seemingly overnight.
For the time being, bridges appear to have been mended between the QB and the front office. However, Hopkins’ suspension ensures that the offseason drama is far from over in the Grand Canyon State heading into the 2022 season.
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