Arizona Cardinals' DeAndre Hopkins worried PED suspension might keep him out of Hall of Fame
HBO and NFL Films caught a poignant moment between Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and associate head coach Shawn Jefferson, the team’s wide receivers coach, during the debut episode of “Hard Knocks: In Season with the Arizona Cardinals.”
It was when Hopkins was captured talking with Jefferson on the practice field and asking him if he thinks his chances of making it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame are diminished after he was suspended for the first six games of this season for violating the NFL’s policy regarding performance enhancing drugs.
Hopkins wasn’t being naïve. He wasn’t being humble. He was being dead serious.
During a one-on-one interview with the Republic after practice on Thursday, Hopkins said he’s seen what has happened to star players in other sports, most noticeably Major League Baseball, who have been denied entry into the Hall of Fame for transgressions involving PEDs.
He said when he was talking with Jefferson, he wasn’t sure if the NFL and its selection committee would hold his suspension against him when it comes to Hall of Fame nomination and voting.
“I’d just hate for anything to happen,” Hopkins told The Republic. “I can’t go back on it, but it was definitely something that if you know me, I’ve never taken anything and I’ll go to my grave with that, knowing I’ve never taken anything.
“I can take as many lie-detector tests from whoever in this world wants to give it to me to prove that. So for me, I know my conscious and I know who I am. But obviously, (the fear of not being considered for the Hall of Fame) that’s in the back of my mind because I feel like I’ve put so much into this craft that I want to get one day what I’m deserving I feel like.
“That’s to be in the Hall of Fame and I’m going to play this game until those numbers prove it.”
In “Hard Knocks,” Jefferson repeatedly reassures Hopkins, the five-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, that yes, one day he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On Thursday, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph also weighed in on the subject.
“He’s been great for a long, long time,” Joseph said. “It’s a small hiccup and it’s kind of grey. He wasn’t sure what happened (with the positive test for a banned substance), but it won’t define him. He’s a great player, he’s been great for a long time and he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer, no doubt.”
The only award Hopkins is ineligible for is the Pro Bowl this season. Players suspended for PEDs are not allowed to be selected.
NFL WEEK 10 PICKS: Which teams might be on upset alert?
NFL NEWSLETTER: Sign up now to get football news delivered to your inbox
QB watch for Cardinals vs. Rams
Things could change between now and game time, but there’s a chance that both the Cardinals and the Rams could be without their starting quarterbacks when the teams meet at SoFi Stadium on Sunday at 2:25 p.m.
The Rams placed Matthew Stafford in concussion protocol on Tuesday after he began to experience symptoms following Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Buccaneers. He hasn’t practiced the past two days. On Wednesday, Kyler Murray popped up on the Cardinals’ injury list with a pulled hamstring, which he suffered in Arizona’s 31-21 loss to Seattle.
If Stafford is ruled out, the Rams will turn to backup John Walford, who has started two games since joining the team in 2020. One of those games was an 18-7 win over the Cardinals in the 2020 regular-season finale.
Murray returned to the practice field Thursday but was listed as a limited participant and considering how piecemealed the Cardinals’ offensive line is, coach Kliff Kingsbury could decide to rest Murray for at least a week and turn to veteran backup Colt McCoy against the Rams. McCoy was 2-1 last year when Murray missed three games with an ankle injury.
Kingsbury won’t meet with reporters until Friday, so expect the situation to remain up in their air at least until then.
As for the Rams, coach Sean McVay told reporters Wednesday he has full trust in Wolford.
“I’m confident in him,” McVay said. “I know Matthew is going to do everything in his power to try and be ready. We’ll just take it a day at a time. But John’s a guy that when he’s been in these situations, he’s stepped in and done a really good job. It wasn’t too long ago that he had to come in (against the Cardinals) in a game we had to have to be able to get into the playoffs, and he performed incredibly well.”
Injury updates
Kingsbury has already ruled out safety Budda Baker (high ankle sprain) for Sunday, but four other players also did not practice on Thursday, including starting left tackle D.J. Humphries, who was out with a back issue after being listed as limited on Wednesday.
Also not practicing Thursday were left guard Cody Ford (illness), center Rodney Hudson (knee), backup guard Max Garcia (shoulder) and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (back). Right tackle Kelvin Beachum (illness/knee) was upgraded to limited but five others remained limited – defensive end J.J. Watt (knee), kicker Matt Prater (hip), linebacker Dennis Gardeck (ankle), defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter (ribs) and cornerback Christian Matthew (hamstring).
For the Rams, running back Malcolm Brown (hamstring), defensive tackle Greg Gaines (elbow), linebacker Travin Howard (hip), tackle Alaric Jackson (knee) and cornerback Robert Rochell (illness) did not practice. Center Brian Allen (knee) was upgraded to limited.
Roster move
The Cardinals on Thursday released defensive lineman Michael Dogbe, a seventh-round pick in 2019. His spot on the active roster could go to Washington, if he’s able and ready to play on Sunday after being on injured reserve with a chest injury since early September.
Michael Bidwill plugged in
If Cardinals fans are curious as to how owner Michael Bidwill is handling his team’s 3-6 start, Kingsbury revealed on Wednesday that Bidwill is constantly dialed in to the full inner workings of the coaching staff.
“Yeah, there’s always great communication,” Kingsbury said. “We sit with Michael and watch the film, VJ (defensive coordinator Vance Joseph) and I, every week, so he has a great understanding of what we’re trying to do and where we’re falling short. We take ownership for what we need to take ownership for and say what we’re going to do moving forward. The communication has been clear and everybody’s been great.”
OPINION: In distributing blame for Arizona Cardinals' woes, include team owner Michael Bidwill
Someone asked Kingsbury if that’s common practice around the NFL, having the owner sit in on weekly film sessions with the head coach and his top coordinator.
“I’m not sure how that goes at other places. I’ve heard different people do it different ways,” Kingsbury said. “But it’s been great for VJ and I to be able to show what we’re trying to do. Here’s the plan going forward and here’s how we’re going to try to get this thing right.”
Bidwill was featured briefly on Wednesday night’s debut episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks: In Season wit the Arizona Cardinals,” and he had this to say about his struggling club:
“We’ve been a slow starting team all season. It’s been frustrating,” Bidwill said before Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks. “We don’t have a lot of margin for error.”
Someone asked Kingsbury if that’s common practice around the NFL, having the owner sit in on weekly film sessions with the head coach and his top coordinator.
“I’m not sure how that goes at other places. I’ve heard different people do it different ways,” Kingsbury said. “But it’s been great for VJ and I to be able to show what we’re trying to do. Here’s the plan going forward and here’s how we’re going to try to get this thing right.”
Bidwill was featured briefly on Wednesday night’s debut episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks: In Season wit the Arizona Cardinals,” and he had this to say about his struggling club:
“We’ve been a slow starting team all season. It’s been frustrating,” Bidwill said before Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks. “We don’t have a lot of margin for error.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: DeAndre Hopkins concerned about Pro Football Hall of Fame hopes
