The Arizona Cardinals made a wild decision on Friday, electing to outright released wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
While it seemed like a terrible idea on paper, some NFL fans think the Cardinals are playing the long game, which includes putting together a pretty terrible 2023-2023 season.
Losing Hopkins means that Arizona will be without its top offensive weapons. While the dynamic wideout missed 15 of the past 26 games with a suspension and injuries, he’s one of the league’s top receivers when healthy. In his first season with the Cardinals, he had 115 catches for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns.
The Cards are also putting a lot of faith in quarterback Kyler Murray, who is still recovering from a torn ACL. Losing Hopkins means his job just got a whole lot harder.
But perhaps that’s the point. A lot of folks around the NFL world saw the news that Arizona released Hopkins as a signal that they intend to tank this year and put themselves in a prime position to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 2023 Arizona Cardinals are not a football team, they are a vessel to acquire Caleb Williams. https://t.co/XTGu8Pk3BU
— rcon14 (@rcon14) May 26, 2023
“Cardinals are tanking for Caleb Williams,” said NY Post reporter Ryan Glasspiegel.
Cardinals are tanking for Caleb Williams
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) May 26, 2023
“With the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Caleb Williams, quarterback out of USC,” Antwan V. Staley wrote.
With the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Caleb Williams, quarterback out of USC
— Antwan V. Staley (@antwanstaley) May 26, 2023
We’ll find out soon enough if the Cardinals make a real effort in 2023 or if they’re already in the tank for Williams.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.