Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins recently released a lengthy statement, sharing his feelings about his violation of PED rules. The 5x Pro Bowler was noticeably in shock by the allegations against him. He was trying to figure out his lapse in abiding by the rules. The Cardinals wideout will not be able to play in the first 6 games of the 2022 NFL campaign. He is facing a spell on the sidelines.

While the announcement from the league came on Monday, NFL fans were wondering about the Cardinals’ trade for Baltimore Ravens WR Marquise Brown. The franchise traded away their first-round pick from this year’s Draft to acquire Brown from the Ravens.

Hopkins seems to echo the sentiments of the Cardinals fans, who were also in shock by this development on his official Twitter account.

The veteran Cardinals wideout states, “I am very mindful of what I put in my body and have always taken a holistic approach, so I am working with my team to investigate how this could’ve happened. But even as careful as I have been, clearly I wasn’t careful enough. For that, I apologize to Cardinals fans, my teammates, and the entire Cardinals organization. I never want to let my team down. I fully intend to get to the bottom of this.”

What is the effect going to be on DeAndre Hopkins’ legacy in the NFL?

The 3-time first-team All-Pro was one of the key players for the Cardinals since joining from the Houston Texans. But injuries had hampered his chances of making a return during the 2021 campaign. Hopkins recorded the worst output of his entire professional career last season with 42 receptions for 572 receiving yards and 8 TDs.

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He was one of the standout performers during his time with the Texans and earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in his final three seasons. But with the surfacing of these allegations, Hopkins might have just stained his legacy and hurt his team’s chances to make the playoffs in the 2022 season.

The Cardinals team has been heavily reliant on his qualities and went 3-4 in the 7 games he missed through injury.

While the loss of Hopkins will be considerable, the Cardinals will move forward with new boy Brown as their primary receiver. The upcoming NFL campaign will be another tough outing for the franchise, which will look to make a run to the postseason.

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