Kingsbury: Hopkins wasn't supposed to return to game

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury: WR DeAndre Hopkins wasn't supposed to return to game

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 10/29/21

Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was listed as questionable with a hamstring injury heading into the team's Week 8 "Thursday Night Football" game against the Green Bay Packers. When Hopkins reaggravated the injury early in the contest, Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury had all but decided that the 29-year-old was done for the night.

Hopkins had other ideas.

The five-time Pro Bowl wideout exited the contest with 8:18 left in the first quarter and didn't return until the 8:15 mark of the third, but according to Kingsbury, Hopkins wasn't supposed to get back on the field at all. ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reported on the situation following Arizona's first loss of the season, a 24-21 defeat.

"We wanted him to stay off the field but he'd just run on," Kingsbury said. "He wants to play, super competitive and made some plays there, and we just want him to be smart, but he was definitely hurting."

Hopkins' biggest play of the day -- a 61-yard touchdown reception that was negated because of his facemask penalty -- led to the reaggravated hamstring injury, and he finished having just played 13 total snaps and making two catches on two targets for 66 receiving yards. The wiped-out touchdown still went down as a 55-yard reception before the foul occurred.

"He wants to be out there," Kingsbury said. "He's competitive as anybody I've been around, and he ended up making some plays. But, we also have a lot of games left so we're trying to be smart with him."

The Cardinals are now 7-1 and take on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Nov. 7. The Packers are 7-1 as well and will play the Kansas City Chiefs next, also at 4:25 p.m. ET on Nov. 7.

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