DeAndre Hopkins breaks Cardinals record for receptions in a season
Dec 27, 2020, 9:28 AM
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) runs after the catch as Philadelphia Eagles safety K'Von Wallace (42) pursues during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
A bit of Arizona Cardinals history was made on the State Farm Stadium gridiron Saturday evening.
The history happened when DeAndre Hopkins set a franchise record for receptions in a season during the Cardinals’ 20-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.
Hopkins’ 110th reception of the year surpassed teammate Larry Fitzgerald’s record of 109, which he hit twice in 2015 and 2017.
The eighth-year wideout finished Saturday’s contest with eight receptions and 48 receiving yards in the loss, upping his yearly totals to 111 receptions, 1,372 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.
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Hopkins’ record-setting season doesn’t come as a surprise to his teammates, such as fellow wideout Christian Kirk.
Kirk, who has 621 receiving yards and six touchdowns of his own this year, believes that his teammate is the best receiver in the NFL.
“It’s expected. Not surprised by it. Just the plays that he’s made all season, the caliber of play that he puts on every single Sunday, the guy just shows up,” Kirk said.
“And he’s an elite impact player and shows every week why he’s the best receiver in the league. So, it’s been really fun to watch him be successful here and have a huge impact on this team.”
Hopkins is four receptions away from tying his career high of 115, set back in 2018 when he was a member of the Houston Texans.
He previously pulled down 111 receptions for the Texans during the 2015 regular season, finishing the year with 1,521 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
Hopkins still has a ways to go to set the Cardinals’ single season receiving yardage record of 1,598 yards, set by David Boston in 2001.
Hopkins’ teammates, like offensive lineman D.J. Humphries, have come to expect the unexpected from him.
Whether Hopkins can pull in 227 receiving yards against the Los Angeles Rams in the Cardinals’ regular season finale or not is to be determined.
What is sure, at least according to Humphries, is that Hopkins’ talent is unrivaled in the league, with his latest record giving further credence to their claims.
“He’s the best receiver in the world in our opinion,” Humphries said. “I don’t think we expected anything less than him coming in and being one of the best receivers in the league. So it definitely didn’t surprise me at all.”
