Report: Cardinals struggling to get desired trade for DeAndre Hopkins

The Arizona Cardinals have made no secret of the fact that wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is available in trade talks. However, the team might have to accept that the return they get for him will not be what they initially sought.

The Cardinals are unlikely to have their initial Hopkins asking price met, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. Arizona had demanded a second-round pick for Hopkins, but teams are simply unwilling to give up that much. 

Breer suggests that the Cardinals may have to settle for a return that is only modestly better than the fifth- and sixth-round picks the Dallas Cowboys gave up to acquire Brandin Cooks from Houston.

Teams’ concerns about Hopkins are twofold. The wide receiver has missed 17 games in the last two years, and he turns 31 in June. 

Admittedly, six of the missed games were due to a suspension, but that still leaves a fair amount of missed time due to injury. It does not help that Hopkins is owed nearly $19.5M in 2023, and any trade might be contingent on a reworked contract.

The Cardinals appear to be intensifying efforts to move Hopkins, which perhaps means they are accepting that their initial asking price was unrealistic. 

He still has six seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards in his 10-year NFL career, and could be a major addition for any team if he can stay healthy and perform as he has in the past.