Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins says he ‘doesn’t want a raise’

DeAndre Hopkins has broken his silence on Twitter amid trade rumors that have swirled since the Arizona Cardinals granted him permission to seek a trade with other teams on March 27.

“Hopkins doesn’t want a raise” – Nuk

— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) April 16, 2023

He deleted the tweet by Monday morning.

Hopkins is scheduled to make more than $34 million with two years left on his contract but the wide receiver has reportedly hired an agent to renegotiate his contract, should he get traded.

Keeping Hopkins on the roster without reconstructing his contract would cost the Cardinals salary cap hits of $29.9 million in 2023 and $25.5 million in 2024.

If the Cardinals move Hopkins before June 2, it would free $8.1 million in cap space but also force the team to take a dead-money hit of $22.6 million.

The statement from Hopkins comes on the heels of a trade request by Cardinals safety Budda Baker on Friday.

The Cardinals could try to move both players ahead of the April 27 NFL Draft to acquire as much draft capital as possible, although it’s unclear how much of a net both players would return. Pro Football Focus graded Hopkins as the 33rd best wide receiver in the league last season and Baker as the 19th best safety.

Baker reportedly asked the Cardinals to restructure his contract to become the highest-paid safety in the league or to trade him.

Both Baker and Hopkins signed contract extensions with the Cardinals in 2020.

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