Cardinals release veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins

After an offseason filled with speculation, the Arizona Cardinals have pulled the plug on the DeAndre Hopkins era. As the club announced on Friday, it has released the veteran wide receiver after three seasons.

The Cardinals took to social media to make the breakup public:

A first-round draft pick in 2013, Hopkins was a highly productive player in seven seasons with the Houston Texans. Nonetheless, the club decided to part ways with him in 2020: then-Texans head coach Bill O’Brien decided to move him to Arizona.

Hopkins had one of the most productive seasons of his career in his first year with the Cardinals, but he failed to keep that pace in 2021 and 2022. He finished last season with 64 catches for 717 yards and three touchdowns — solid numbers, but not enough to warrant keeping him in his age-31 season at a cap hit of $30.75 million.

The team therefore decided to make him available via trade this offseason. Several teams reportedly were interested, but none to a point where a move eventually transpired.

As a result, Hopkins has now been let go and is available on the open market.