After three years playing with the Arizona Cardinals, DeAndre Hopkins is set to join his third NFL team this 2023 season. Now, it has been revealed the real reason why the team decided to move on from the receiver, which could also be a message to the rest of the league.
There’s no doubt that DeAndre Hopkins has a huge talent. The wide receiver was one of the best players during his time with the Houston Texans, so that’s why the Cardinals decided to trade for him in 2020 in order to give Kyler Murray a new weapon.
However, things didn’t work out between Hopkins and Arizona. The 30-year-old was unable to stay healthy, and of course this was a huge problem for the team. Now, it has been revealed one of the most relevant reasons why the NFC West squad decided to move on from him.
Report: Cardinals were not comfortable with DeAndre Hopkins’ attitude
Kyler Murray will have one less target to throw passes to in the upcoming 2023 season, as the Cardinals have released DeAndre Hopkins. The receiver’s three-year tenure with the team fell short of their expectations, so they decided to move on from him and avoid paying almost $20 million he was due this year.
Hopkins arrived in 2020 as a huge star. He was set to be Murray’s best friend on the field, but the receiver was unable to prove his value. Three years later, the Cardinals had enough and decided to part ways with the former Texan.
It is uncertain where will Hopkins play this year. Several teams are rumored to be interested in signing him, but now the Cardinals have sent them a message that could change the whole scenario for the wide receiver.
A source told long-time Cardinals staff writer Kyle Odegard that the team was ‘upset’ with Hopkins’ attitude. According to reports, he refused to play several games, even without being injured.
This decision by Hopkins seems to have ended his relationship with the Cardinals. The team was no longer comfortable with his attitude during the games, as he was one of the best paid players in the team and was not proving he was worthy of being part of the organization.