Cardinals star WR DeAndre Hopkins suspended six games for PEDs

The Arizona Cardinals will be without five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for the first six games of the 2022 season after he was suspended for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Hopkins, 29, has 10,581 career receiving yards over nine seasons with 68 receiving touchdowns. He was acquired by the Cardinals in a 2020 trade that sent running back David Johnson and a second-round pick to the Houston Texans.

In 2021, Hopkins missed seven games due to hamstring and knee injuries. He finished the year with a career-low 42 receptions and 572 yards but still managed to lead the Cardinals in touchdown receptions with eight. With Hopkins out of the lineup late in the year, Arizona lost three of its last four regular-season games and lost 34-11 to the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.

Earlier in the offseason, the Cardinals allowed receiver Christian Kirk to reach free agency. He signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. During the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft, Arizona acquired wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. The team also has seven-time Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green, who finished the 2021 season with 848 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

The Cardinals didn't have a first-round draft pick in 2022 after trading for Brown but used a second-round pick to select tight end Trey McBride.