Cardinals WR Hopkins tweets he doesn't want a raise, indicates possible trade destinations
DeAndre Hopkins’ future as a member of the Arizona Cardinals remains uncertain as trade rumors continue to swirl, but the wide receiver has provided a tiny bit of clarity on at least a couple of subjects.
One came Sunday on Twitter when Hopkins posted this:
“Hopkins doesn’t want a raise,” he tweeted, signing it with his nickname, “Nuk.”
If that’s the case, it means Hopkins is willing to play for money left on his current contract, which runs through the 2024 season. Though the salary isn’t guaranteed, his contract calls for him to be paid $19.45 million this coming season and $14.9 million in ’24.
"Hopkins doesn’t want a raise" - Nuk
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) April 16, 2023
The second came during an appearance on the All Things Covered podcast when he was asked during a video segment to indicate, using nothing but body language, his preference for which NFL team he would like to play. Here’s how he responded:
Patriots: No. Bills: Yes. Jets: No. Chiefs: Yes.
It should be pointed out he was not asked about the Cardinals.
Hopkins’ contract carries a cap number of $30.75 million with the Cardinals. If they trade him before June 1, they’ll be hit with a cap charge of $22.6 million. Trading him after June 1 splits the cap hit equally between 2023 and 2024.
Hopkins has never stated publicly that he wants to be traded, but there’s been mounting speculation since the latter stages of the 2022 season that he might be dealt because the Cardinals are in a rebuilding process, and he wants a chance to play for a championship.
On Friday, it was reported by multiple outlets that Cardinals All-Pro safety Budda Baker has asked to be traded. ESPN, citing sources, reported that Baker wants to be the highest-paid safety in the league. That’s what the Cardinals made him in 2020 when Baker accepted a five-year extension, but since then he has dropped to being the seventh-highest paid safety.
Like Hopkins, Baker has two more years left on his present deal worth in excess of $13 million and $14 million.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins possibly looking for trade, not raise
