Arizona Cardinals release star WR DeAndre Hopkins

The Arizona Cardinals have released five-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the team announced Friday.

One of the biggest players of the offseason to be released, Hopkins has been in trade talks for most of the spring. His contract had been through the 2024 season with his base salary at $19.45 million for this upcoming season.

But now that he is released, teams are able to directly contact and negotiate with Hopkins and his representatives.

Hopkins, 30, has been with the Cardinals the past three seasons after arriving in a trade from the Houston Texans.

He has been named to five All-Pro teams. Hopkins was a first-team member each season from 2017-2019 and also earned a spot on the second team in 2015 and 2020.

Playing in only nine games last season in part due to a six-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy, Hopkins finished the season with 64 catches for 717 yards and just three touchdowns.

He had played in only 10 games in 2021 due to multiple injuries. In the prior 16 seasons, Hopkins had averaged 15.7 games, 103.2 receptions, 1332.8 yards and 8.7 touchdowns per season.

Hopkins will have plenty of suitors around the league looking to add talent to their wide receiver room.

“What I want is stable management upstairs. I think that’s something I haven’t really had the past couple years of my career coming from Houston and then to Arizona,” Hopkins said on the ‘I AM ATHLETE’ podcast earlier this week. “I’ve been through three or four GMs in my career, so a stable management. [I want] a QB who loves the game, a QB who brings everybody on board with him and pushes not just himself but everybody around him. … and a great defense. A great defense wins championships.”

The former Clemson wide receiver was drafted 27th overall by Houston in the 2013 NFL Draft.