Wide receiver appeared to be the most popular topic of league conversations leading up to the NFL trade deadline. Robbie Anderson and Chase Claypool were moved, while others like Brandin Cooks and Jerry Jeudy generated significant interest.
In fact, one of the very best NFL wideouts reportedly was highly sought after before the clock struck 4 p.m. ET this past Tuesday.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Sunday reported “several” teams contacted the Cardinals to inquire about DeAndre Hopkins’ availability. Arizona general manager Steve Keim was “unwilling” to move to Hopkins, but as Rapoport noted, it’s unclear whether the Cardinals made the all-world receiver off-limits or the front office simply didn’t receive a satisfactory offer.
Arizona’s lingering struggles apparently motivated teams to make a call out to the desert. As Rapoport explained, it’s common practice in the NFL for franchises with sub-.500 records to receive pre-deadline calls, but those inquiries often don’t gain any traction.
Hopkins didn’t miss a beat after serving a six-game suspension to start the campaign. The five-time Pro Bowl selection caught 10 passes for 103 yards in his season debut against the New Orleans Saints and followed that impressive performance up with 12 grabs, 159 receiving yards and a touchdown last weekend against the Vikings in Minnesota.
The Cardinals will look for Hopkins to stuff the stat sheet yet again Sunday when they host the division rival Seahawks. Seattle (5-3) enters Week 9 as the NFC West leader and No. 3 overall seed in the conference.
