PED SUSPENSION LOOMS BUT CARDINALS’ DEANDRE HOPKINS GETS SUPPORT FROM NFL GREATS.
Hopkins is missing the first six weeks of the season.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins received some major encouragement from a future Pro Football Hall of Famer on Saturday.
Hopkins was suspended for the first six games of the 2022 NFL season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Nonetheless, Larry Fitzgerald told TMZ Sports that Hopkins is still bound for Canton.
“He’ll still be a Hall of Famer. He’ll work through it. It’s just some adversity and, you know, he’s a tough guy, resourceful, and he’ll work his way through it,” Fitzgerald told the gossip website.
Fitzgerald admitted it was a “big blow” for the Cardinals, who started last season winning their first seven games.
Hopkins said in a statement posted to Twitter earlier this month he was “confused and shocked” by his positive performance-enhancing drug test.
“In my 10-year NFL career, I have never tested positive for using performance-enhancing drugs,” the statement read.
“To learn that my November test came back with trace elements of a banned substance, I was confused and shocked.
“I am very mindful of what I put in my body and have always taken a holistic approach, so I am working with my team to investigate how this could’ve happened. But even as careful as I have been, clearly I wasn’t careful enough. For that I apologize to Cardinals fans, my teammates, and the entire Cardinals organization. I never want to let my team down.
“I fully intend to get to the bottom of this. As soon as I have more information I will share it.”
It’s unclear what he tested positive for.
In 10 games last season, Hopkins had 42 catches for 572 yards and eight touchdowns.
