Details continue to emerge about the Arizona Cardinals‘ decision to release DeAndre Hopkins, including a report that the All-Pro wideout “upset” members of the organization during the 2022 season.
DeAndre Hopkins’ 2022 Decisions Left Organization ‘Upset’
According to Kyle Odegard of compare.bet, the five-time Pro Bowler made a choice that ultimately led to some friction between himself and members of the franchise,
“DeAndre Hopkins upset some in the Cardinals organization by sitting out the final two games of the 2022 season even though he was healthy, per sources. It may have been a sticky situation if he remained with the team until the trade deadline,” Odegard revealed.
It’s important to note that Odegard has ties to the Cardinals. He served as a team writer for the franchise from 2013 to 2021 before crossing over to the sports and gambling writing realm. And he was around the franchise for the first two seasons of Hopkins’ stay in Arizona.
Odegard was there when Hopkins delivered his last 100-catch campaign: the 115-catch, 1,407-yard, six touchdowns season of 2020. Hopkins’ numbers, though, dipped to 42 catches for 572 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021 due to knee and hamstring injuries.
And now, another subject from the Pro Bowler’s past has resurfaced into the picture.
Hopkins ‘Open’ To Joining Cleveland Browns, Insider Says
Per ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, Hopkins “would be open” to a reunion with Deshaun Watson.
“I’ll mention Cleveland, because my sense is Hopkins would be open to playing with Deshaun Watson again, reuniting from their Houston days,” Fowler said on SportsCenter.
“Cleveland likely knows that, so they can at least make a call. I wouldn’t consider them a major contender, but there’ll be a lot of dark horses that will least kick the tires on this and see if the market is reasonable.”
Fowler additionally wrote down the Browns as one of nine teams labeled as Hopkins’ best fits, though the insider has Cleveland in the “wild card” category among the teams.
MORE: Analyzing the Browns’ Best and Worst-Case 2023 Season Scenarios
“Hopkins has preexisting chemistry with Deshaun Watson — they played together in Houston from 2017 to 2019 — and pairing him with Amari Cooper would deepen the intrigue in the AFC North. Cleveland GM Andrew Berry has been very aggressive this offseason in bolstering the defense, and signing Hopkins would be a nod to maximizing Watson’s window,” Fowler wrote.
Other wild card teams include the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, and the New England Patriots. Speaking of the latter team…
Patriots Player Sends Cryptic Viral Recruiting Pitch to Hopkins
Linebacker Mack Wilson posted a truncated response to a tweet that outlined what Hopkins was looking for in a team — the cryptic post clearly indicated the fifth-year defender was attempting to help lure Hopkins to the Pats.
Wilson suited up for a defense that ranked 11th overall but finished eighth in total yards allowed. The Patriots also revamped their wide receiving core by signing 2018 Pro Bowler JuJu Smith-Schuster and drafting Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas.
Wilson made his pitch. Meanwhile, ESPN insider Field Yates believes the Pats are one of the best fits for Hopkins.
