Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Jeff Gladney died on Monday morning in a car crash, his agent Brian Overstreet confirmed to Drew Davison and Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 

He was 25. 

"We are asking prayers for the family and privacy at this most difficult time," Overstreet said.

A number of Gladney's former TCU and NFL teammates reacted to the news of his death, including Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor and Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson:

https://twitter.com/jalenreagor/status/1531327563485917185

https://twitter.com/jalenreagor/status/1531331177851797506

https://twitter.com/jalenreagor/status/1531338802144452619

Rest In Peace Jeff Gladney🙏🏾

— JJETS✈️ (@JJettas2) May 30, 2022

Say it ain’t so… man this one cut deep ! I’m in total disbelief ! My brudda/Teammate, I was blessed to be able to laugh and play w you ! This that pain, smh RIP Jeffe 💔💔 #LoveYourLovedOnes pic.twitter.com/KueooOC56c

— Keenan Reed (@CoachReed_) May 30, 2022

Man aint no way man RIP jefe man i watched him come from the scout team to a team captain to a first round pick jeff was a good friend and great teammate imma miss you family RIP jeff

— Lj collier (@ljcollier91) May 30, 2022

Horrifying news to hear this morning.

Just tragic.

Rest In Peace Jeff.

🙏🏼

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) May 30, 2022

"We are devastated to learn of Jeff Gladney’s passing," the Cardinals wrote in a statement. "Our hearts go out to his family, friends and all who are mourning this tremendous loss."

The Vikings also released a statement:

We are saddened by the tragic death of former Viking Jeff Gladney. Our hearts go out to his family and friends, as well as the Arizona Cardinals organization and Jeff’s current and former teammates and coaches who are mourning his life lost much too soon. pic.twitter.com/5bdVCXT6Gv

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) May 30, 2022

Gladney was a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2020, appearing in all 16 games his rookie season (15 starts) while registering 81 tackles, three passes defensed and a forced fumble. 

In 2021, he was charged with felony domestic violence and the Vikings released him in August. He sat out the entire 2021 campaign. 

In March, a jury found Gladney not guilty of the charge and the Cardinals signed him shortly thereafter to a two-year deal. 

While the Arizona Cardinals have yet to lock up quarterback Kyler Murray to a long-term extension, general manager Steve Keim appears confident that the two sides will be able to agree to terms sometime this summer.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Keim said the Cardinals haven't signed Murray to a new contract yet because they had to prioritize their offseason tasks, such as preparing for the NFL draft and free agency. 

"We know that he's under contract for another year, and also the fifth-year option, and he is our future," Keim said. "We feel that way strongly and I feel like we'll be able to get something done this summer."

Keim's comments come after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Murray would not attend Arizona's voluntary OTAs this week as "all continues to remain quiet" on a contract extension for the veteran. 

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero also reported in April that the Cardinals had not made Murray an offer, adding that teams were monitoring the quarterback's situation in case he became available in a trade. 

Keim said at the time that there was "zero chance" he would trade Murray this summer. 

Murray has two years remaining on his rookie contract after the Cardinals picked up his fifth-year option for the 2023 season. 

The 24-year-old's future in Arizona has been in question since he removed all references to the Cardinals on his social media accounts earlier this offseason. His agent also urged the franchise to sign him to a long-term extension in February.

A statement from Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray’s agent, @ErikBurkhardt: pic.twitter.com/qsWGZIZ0jB

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2022

Murray has since restored his social media accounts to include photos and references of the Cardinals. He told reporters in March that his digital detox had nothing to do with the team. 

The 24-year-old reiterated his commitment to the Cardinals in a Twitter post last month, saying that he wanted to win Super Bowls with the franchise and that Arizona is "home."

I wanna win Super Bowls with the Cardinals, AZ is home. https://t.co/xwEw42uDBl

— Kyler Murray (@K1) April 21, 2022

Murray has had an impressive three-year career with the Cardinals. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and was named to the Pro Bowl in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In addition, he has thrown for more than 3,700 yards in each of his three seasons. 

During the 2021 campaign, Murray completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 423 yards and five scores.

If he can replicate that success in 2022, the Cardinals should be right back in the playoff hunt. 

Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals are headed into somewhat of a make-or-break 2022 season.

For most of 2021, the Redbirds looked like one of the better teams in the NFC. But after a 10-2 start, they fell apart down the stretch, losing four of their last five games before being embarrassed in the Wild Card Round by the Los Angeles Rams.

They're now embroiled in a contract standoff with Murray that is showing no signs of abating anytime soon.

Murray is a talented, young quarterback with a potentially bright future. However, it's still unclear whether he's a true "franchise" quarterback who's worthy of a massive financial investment. 

The easiest way for the Cardinals to avoid a potentially catastrophic mistake is to let Murray earn that whopper of an extension by showing he's capable not only of making the playoffs, but of making noise once he gets there.

The latest chapter in the ongoing saga came Monday, when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Murray will not be in attendance when Arizona opens OTAs this week:

Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray will not be at Arizona’s OTAs this week, as expected. All continues to remain quiet on his contract front, for now.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 23, 2022

Things may be "quiet" on the contract front right now, but that hasn't been the case for much of the offseason. Murray's agent, Erik Burkhardt, released a statement back in February about an extension proposal that he sent to the Cardinals.

"Actions speak louder than words in this volatile business," the statement reads in part. "It is now simply up to the Cardinals to decide if they prioritize their rapidly improving 24-year-old, already 2X Pro Bowl QB, who led the organization from 3 wins before his arrival to 11 wins and their first playoff appearance in 5 years."

Just before Burkhardt released his statement, Murray scrubbed all references to the Cardinals from his social media, leading some to speculate that there was acrimony between him and the team. ESPN's Chris Mortensen added fuel to that fire by tweeting that said acrimony wasn't necessarily one-sided.

"The odd vibe between the (Cardinals) and Kyler Murray is indeed alarming," Mortensen said. "Murray is described as self-centered, immature and a finger pointer, per sources. Murray is frustrated with franchise and was embarrassed by playoff loss to Rams and thinks he's been framed as the scapegoat."

Since then, both sides have been conveying that all is well and hugs and rainbows. Murray decried any talk of a rift as "nonsense," while the team released a statement supporting the 24-year-old signal-caller (via Pro Football Talk).

"Nothing has changed regarding our high opinion and high regard for Kyler Murray," the statement said. "We as a team and Kyler individually have improved each year he has been in the league. We are excited to continue that improvement in 2022 and are excited that Kyler Murray is the quarterback leading us."

During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said he thinks the Cardinals will get a contract done for Murray:

"I think they are fine. I think they are on the same page. I think they are moving forward together. He's going to be there; he's going to be the Cardinals' quarterback this year. ... They just aren't there yet when it comes to a contract, and I think this summer's probably a better timetable as far as when it might get done. ... He'll be at mandatory [camp], I think—I shouldn't say 'I'm sure'—I think."

Here's the thing, though. The Cardinals' wisest course of action is to not re-up Murray. Not yet.

For starters, it isn't like Murray would be hitting free agency next spring. Arizona already picked up his fifth-year option for 2023, which will pay him around $29.7 million.

It isn't surprising that Murray's agent would point to last year's 11-win campaign as proof that he has earned an extension. When a team succeeds in the NFL, the quarterback often gets the credit.

However,  Burkhardt failed to mention that the past two Decembers have been a much different story. And when we last saw Murray on the field, it was in perhaps the most abysmal effort of his NFL career.

In the Cardinals' 34-11 loss to the Rams in the Wild Card Round, he was 19-of-34 for 137 yards and a pair of interceptions, including one of the ugliest pick-sixes you'll ever see.

That wasn't the first time that Murray was ridiculously careless with the ball in his own end zone, either. In a Christmas Day loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Murray was whistled for intentional grounding (and a safety) after chucking up another wobbler while under duress.

Poor play down the stretch has been more rule than exception for Murray the past two years. Over his first nine starts in 2021, Murray posted a passer rating of over 100 seven times. Over his final five regular-season games, he hit that benchmark only once—in Arizona's lone win over that span.

It was a similar story the year before. After a Week 10 home victory over the Buffalo Bills, the Cardinals were 6-3 and on track for the playoffs. Over those first nine games, Murray had a passer rating of 100-plus four times and multiple touchdown passes in five games. Over the last seven games of the 2020 campaign, Murray posted a triple-digit passer rating only twice and managed multiple scoring passes three times. Arizona lost five of those final seven games and missed the postseason.

In fairness, Murray isn't solely responsible for the team's December swoons over the past two years. Injuries played a part, and last I looked, Murray doesn't play defense.

But it can't be ignored that in each of the past two seasons, Murray's level of play dropped off considerably as the pressure mounted. He also supposedly refused to re-enter the blowout loss to the Rams late in the fourth quarter despite being implored by veteran backup Colt McCoy to get back out there with his teammates, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

That doesn't alleviate concerns that Murray cares more about himself than his team. Neither does skipping OTAs as he angles for a fat payday.

Murray's next contract is sure to be mammoth. We're likely talking $45 million or more per season. And after the Cleveland Browns fully guaranteed every cent of Deshaun Watson's new deal, Murray will likely want most of his money to carry similar guarantees.

That type of contract will dictate everything else the Cardinals do financially over the next several years. And it could bury the team if Murray turns out to be less Aaron Rodgers and more Jared Goff.

Many will dismiss the notion that Murray is anything less than a superstar in the making and the face of the Cardinals. And in fairness to him, we have seen flashes of that kind of ability. If he digs in over the summer, fans will want the team to pay the man.

But Murray hasn't shown that he can play at an elite level consistently for an entire season, much less back that up the following year. His lone playoff start was a nightmare.

Before the Cardinals break the bank and pay Murray like a superstar, the team needs to be sure that he is indeed a superstar. The easiest way to do that is to make him prove it—before they cut the check.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will be absent from the team's voluntary OTAs this week as "all continues to remain quiet" on a contract extension for the two-time Pro Bowler, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Murray has two years remaining on his rookie contract. The Cardinals picked up his fifth-year option for the 2023 campaign, which is set to be worth $29.7 million, per Spotrac. 

Murray's future with the Cardinals has been in question since he got rid of every reference to the franchise on his social media accounts in February. Murray's agent, Erik Burkhardt, then released a statement pushing for Arizona to sign him to an extension.

A statement from Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray’s agent, @ErikBurkhardt: pic.twitter.com/qsWGZIZ0jB

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2022

In March, Murray restored the Cardinals posts to his Instagram account and told reporters his social media cleanse wasn't specific to the team.  

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported last month that the Cardinals had yet to make Murray an offer. He added that other teams were monitoring the situation in case there was an opportunity to make a trade.

However, Murray has not publicly requested a trade and reiterated his dedication to the Cardinals once again last month, saying on Twitter he wanted to win Super Bowls with the franchise and calling Arizona "home."

Cardinals general manager Steve Keim also said in April there is "zero chance" he will trade Murray this offseason:

The way we have approached it is we have free agency, we have the draft, and then we will take a deep breath and sort of refocus. That's sort of the reason every other player that has been a third-year quarterback has been (extended) in the middle of the summer or late summer. It's no different for us.

Nothing has changed in terms of him being our long-term and short-term quarterback.

Murray, 24, has had a solid three-year career in Arizona, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and earning back-to-back Pro Bowl selections in 2020 and 2021. The Oklahoma product has also been consistent, throwing for more than 3,700 yards and at least 20 touchdowns in each of his seasons. 

During the 2021 campaign, Murray completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 14 games. He also rushed for 423 yards and five scores. 

Murray is undoubtedly in line for a significant extension. However, it likely won't be in the range of someone like Josh Allen (six years, $258 million) or Patrick Mahomes (10 years, $450 million), who have both led their teams deep in the playoffs.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Murray's contract could be similar to the three-year, $121.5 million extension Derek Carr signed with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. 

The NFL announced Monday that the Arizona Cardinals will feature on the in-season version of HBO's Hard Knocks in 2022.

Heading to the desert in 2022.#HardKnocks In-Season with the @AZCardinals.
Coming this November on HBO/HBO Max pic.twitter.com/oWJO7zyk9g

— NFL (@NFL) May 23, 2022

Last year, the Indianapolis Colts were the first team to feature in a midseason version of the popular documentary series, which has traditionally followed NFL teams during summer training camps. 

"Last season Hard Knocks made an unprecedented leap, documenting an NFL regular season in real time for the first time ever with the Indianapolis Colts," NFL Films Vice President and Senior Coordinating Producer Keith Cossrow said in a statement. "This season, we are eager to build on that success and go even further with one of the most exciting teams in the NFL. We can't wait to get to work in Arizona."

The Cardinals would have been fascinating to follow in 2021. They started the year 7-0 and looked like one of the NFL's most dangerous teams, only to drop six of their next 10 games before a Wild Card Round loss to the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams.

A bizarre offseason with quarterback Kyler Murray followed that called into question whether the dynamic young star might want a change in scenery, though those notions have been put to rest.

The Cardinals should be an intriguing team to follow. They are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. Kliff Kingsbury's exciting offense features playmakers like DeAndre Hopkins—once he returns from a six-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs—Marquise Brown and James Conner.

Future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt and young linebacker Isaiah Simmons lead a defense looking to move on without edge-rusher Chandler Jones, who took his 10.5 sacks last season to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. 

As for the preseason Hard Knocks, this year's edition will feature the rebuilding Detroit Lions. They won just three games last year—a fourth straight losing season for the franchise—but have a growing collection of young talent like rookies Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams to go along with last year's impressive rookie wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. 

One of the main questions in Detroit is whether quarterback Jared Goff is a long-term option or a short-term patch. That should be asked and examined during HBO's documentary this summer.

Although the trade rumors have mostly faded away, the situation involving Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray remains unsettled heading toward the 2022 NFL season.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday that Murray "won't be too eager to play this season" under a contract that's scheduled to pay him $11.4 million in salary and bonuses.

League executives see the two-time Pro Bowl selection seeking an extension a little north of the three-year, $121.5 million deal signed by the Las Vegas Raiders' Derek Carr in April, per Fowler.

Murray generated headlines in February when he removed references to the Cardinals on social media.

The 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year downplayed the meaning behind that in March, saying an Instagram scrub was common.

"If you're a kid my age, you're used to like—people take off—that's just a thing," Murray told reporters. "Honestly, like I said, I took everything off of it except for one picture. It had nothing to do with the Cardinals or anything like that."

The pictures of him wearing Cardinals gear have since returned to his Instagram page.

Meanwhile, Arizona general manager Steve Keim said in April there was "zero chance" Murray would be traded before the new season, adding the team would revisit his contract situation over the summer.

"Nothing has changed in terms of him being our long-term and short-term quarterback," Keim said.

Murray is coming off a 2021 season in which he completed 69.2 percent of his throws for 3,787 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions across 14 appearances. He added 423 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.

The 24-year-old Texas native ranked seventh in ESPN's QBR (57.3) and received a strong 84 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Despite that high-end regular-season success, he became the focus of criticism after throwing two interceptions and failing to record a touchdown in the Cards' 34-11 wild-card loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.

It was Murray's first postseason start in his third NFL campaign.

Arizona isn't under much time pressure to extend the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner. Along with his team-friendly cap figure for 2022, the front office already picked up its fifth-year option for 2023 and would have the franchise tag for a year or two beyond that, if needed.

So the only way for Murray to gain significant leverage in contract talks would be a holdout ahead of a season in which the Cardinals hope to take another step toward title contention.

If no deal is reached over the next few months, the key question will become whether he's willing to sit out into the regular season until an extension is finalized.

Legendary Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald doesn't believe a six-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs will prevent current Cards wideout DeAndre Hopkins from getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day.

Fitz made the proclamation during an interview with TMZ Sports this weekend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9SvAF432J4?

"He'll still be a Hall of Famer," Fitzgerald said. "He's talented and 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."

After the suspension was announced this month, Hopkins' brand manager, Doug Sanders, told ESPN's Adam Schefter (h/t ESPN's Josh Weinfuss) that Hopkins tested positive for "trace elements of a banned substance" in November but tested negative in the prior and subsequent months.

---

Hopkins also released a statement on Twitter, noting he was "confused and shocked" by the league's findings:

https://twitter.com/DeAndreHopkins/status/1521301792176283649

Fitzgerald was Hopkins' teammate in 2020 before opting not to play in 2021. Fitzgerald told Weinfuss in February that while he doesn't plan to officially announce his retirement yet, he doesn't plan on returning to playing either.

That means the clock has started on Fitzgerald's Hall of Fame eligibility, and there is no question he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

While Hopkins wasn't a slam dunk for the Hall of Fame before the PED suspension, he had at least put himself in the conversation with nine productive seasons split between the Houston Texans and Cardinals.

The 29-year-old veteran is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro with four 100-catch seasons and six 1,000-yard receiving campaigns to his credit.

Overall, Hopkins has posted 789 receptions for 10,581 yards and 68 touchdowns in 136 regular-season games during his career.

The Cardinals acquired Hopkins in a trade with the Texans prior to the 2020 season, and he instantly delivered with one of his best seasons, recording 115 grabs for 1,407 yards and six scores.

Expectations were huge for Hopkins in 2021 since it was his second year in the offense and quarterback Kyler Murray had another year of experience under his belt, but things didn't go according to plan.

Hopkins was limited to 10 games and missed the Cardinals' playoff contest because of a torn MCL in his knee.

The expectation was that Hopkins would bounce back and be a massive contributor in 2022, but now the Cards will be without his services until Week 7 for a Thursday Night Football clash with the New Orleans Saints.

Until Hopkins returns, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown will likely serve as the Cardinals' No. 1 wideout on the heels of Arizona acquiring him and a third-round pick from the Baltimore Ravens for a first-rounder in the 2022 NFL draft.

Hopkins will provide the Cards with a huge boost when he does return, and if he can get back to playing like his usual self and continue to do so for years to come, perhaps he can put the suspension in the past and still put himself in the mix for the Hall of Fame.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is under contract through the 2023 campaign, and he reportedly is unlikely to receive an extension until the middle of the summer.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday and discussed the Murray situation in comparison to the contract Deshaun Watson signed with the Cleveland Browns this offseason.

"We'll see on how much is actually guaranteed, but that's going to be one of the fights," Rapoport said. "Because Deshaun Watson, based on several different metrics, is the highest-paid in the NFL. Certainly based on fully guaranteed money he is. You can look at it a lot of different ways. But $46 million per year, not in new money, just over the course of his contract, that's massive. 

"That, I'm sure, is what Kyler is going to want. The fully guaranteed battle is going to wage on. It's going to be a lot. My sense is we're probably looking at late, late June or early training camp."

According to Spotrac, Murray is set to make $965,000 in base salary in 2022 and $29.7 million in base salary in 2023.

By comparison, Watson will make $46 million in base salary every season from 2023 through 2026. When he agreed to the deal with the Browns after they acquired him from the Houston Texans via trade, it shattered the record for the most guaranteed money in NFL history:

Most guaranteed money on a single contract in NFL history:
Deshaun Watson $230 million
Aaron Rodgers: $150.7 million
Josh Allen: $150 million
Patrick Mahomes: $141.5 million
Dak Prescott: $126 million@ESPNStatsInfo

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) March 18, 2022

It remains to be seen whether Murray can land a contract of that magnitude, and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported last month the Cardinals had not offered him a deal even though it would be a "surprise" if the quarterback played in 2022 on his current one.

Murray notably unfollowed the Cardinals on Instagram and deleted team-related content from the platform this offseason, but he later reaffirmed his position with the club that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2019.

"I'm an Arizona Cardinal," Murray told reporters. "I've done nothing but give my all to the Cardinals and will continue to do that. I'm not really too worried about my future as a Cardinal."

The two-time Pro Bowler impressed for most of the 2021 season while completing 69.2 percent of his passes for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and running for 423 yards and five more scores.

While he struggled in the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, he is still just 24 years old and figures to be the franchise quarterback in Arizona for years to come if the two sides can come to terms on an agreement.

Yet it appears that will not happen until at least later this summer.          

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said he was "confused and shocked" when he learned he tested positive for a banned substance.

The NFL announced Monday that Hopkins would be suspended for six games for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Hopkins then tweeted "see you Week 7" with a message explaining he was "working with my team to investigate how this could've happened."

"Even as careful as I have been, clearly I wasn't careful enough," he wrote. "For that, I apologize to Cardinals fans, my teammates, and the entire Cardinals organization. I never want to let my team down."

https://twitter.com/DeAndreHopkins/status/1521301792176283649

Hopkins' message echoed a statement his brand manager, Doug Sanders, released, saying, in part, "DeAndre and everyone who works with him is completely shocked by this finding because he is extremely diligent about what he puts in his body."

The statement said his team was testing different products in an effort to figure out what happened to lead to the positive test.         

DeAndre Hopkins’ brand manager, Doug Sanders, texted this tonight about his client, who was suspended six games earlier in the day: pic.twitter.com/gHlZMKrSQM

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 3, 2022

This is a massive loss for Arizona.

After all, Hopkins is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL as a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro selection with six seasons of more than 1,100 receiving yards. He also led the league with 13 touchdown catches in 2013 as a member of the Houston Texans.

The Clemson product missed time last season with injuries, which only served to underscore his value.

CBS Sports noted the Cardinals went 8-2 and averaged 30.2 points per game with Hopkins in the lineup and went 3-5 while averaging 19.8 points per game when he wasn't in the lineup.

Arizona can at least take solace knowing it traded for Marquise Brown during the draft. The former Baltimore Raven is coming off the first season of his career with more than 1,000 receiving yards, having tallied 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. He also was college teammates with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, so there is some familiarity in place.

Brown will be expected to assume a larger role to start the year with Hopkins suspended and Christian Kirk now on the Jacksonville Jaguars.           

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been suspended six games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

That's a huge loss for the Cardinals, who will now be without their No. 1 wideout for nearly half of the regular season.

It's also a big blow for a team that has been in a tailspin since starting 10-2 last year. Arizona proceeded to go 1-4 to finish the regular season before looking non-competitive in a 34-11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round.

The Cardinals must find a way to weather that storm, but they did add wideout Marquise "Hollywood" Brown from the Baltimore Ravens via trade last Thursday, which should help matters.

Here's how things may look for the Cardinals' offense from a fantasy perspective in 2022 with Hopkins out for six games, with a focus on quarterback Kyler Murray and Brown.

Thanks to the addition of Brown, Murray should be just fine despite Hopkins' suspension. He is listed as the No. 5 quarterback in the current FantasyPros aggregate rankings. 

Even if he struggles through the air, he can still be productive fantasy-wise thanks to his running ability (1,786 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns in his three seasons).

However, Murray's production last year dipped when Hopkins wasn't in the lineup. Per FantasyPros:

Murray’s production dipped last season without Hopkins in the lineup over the final four weeks of the season. He averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game and 6.3 yards per pass attempt. Murray averaged 24.9 fantasy points per game and 8.7 yards per attempt in the nine games with Hopkins fully healthy. He also posted the No. 1-ranked PFF passing grade (90.5).

In fairness, Murray suffered a sprained ankle that forced him out from Weeks 9-11. He only played two games with Hopkins after the injury and didn't look like the same player. A healthier Murray could have done better, although losing a top target would hurt most signal-callers anyway.

Still, Murray is solidified as a QB1 prospect, and he should still be a candidate to finish in the top five or so among quarterbacks in fantasy production. It's not as if Hopkins is out all season, and Murray and Brown were teammates at Oklahoma, so there's a familiarity and built-in chemistry between the two.

When Hopkins was out of the lineup, Christian Kirk became the team's No. 1 wideout. He averaged nine targets per game and amassed 45 catches for 479 yards and one touchdown.

However, Kirk is now a Jacksonville Jaguar after signing a four-year, $72 million contract. Therefore, the door is wide open for other Cardinals pass-catchers to receive more opportunities here.

The first option is Brown, who landed in Arizona after the Baltimore Ravens traded him on Thursday. Brown, a fourth-year pro out of Oklahoma, finished 2021 with a career-high 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. He'll be Arizona's clear No. 1 wideout until Hopkins returns.

ESPN's Mike Clay initially wasn't a fan of Brown's fantasy stock post-trade:

Love Hollywood Brown, but his value took a hit tonight. It will be hard to match his ~25% target share in Arizona's loaded offense.

I also think AJ Brown's value takes a hit with De'Vonta Smith and Dallas Goedert there, though a more balanced O + improved Hurts could change that

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) April 29, 2022

There are still a lot of mouths to feed in Arizona even without Hopkins, who wasn't seeing his usual boatload of targets last season. In fact, Brown had a higher target share last year.

Counting only full games played last season:

DeAndre Hopkins: 22% target share (6.6/G), 35% air yard share

Marquise Brown: 26% target share (9.1/G), 30% air yard share

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) April 29, 2022

But in Arizona, Brown has to contend with wide receivers Rondale Moore and A.J. Green and tight end Zach Ertz for looks, in addition to running back James Conner. 

Clay initially projected Brown to have 72 catches for 986 yards and six touchdowns on 115 targets prior to Hopkins' suspension.

FantasyPros' current aggregate rankings list Brown as the 35th-best wide receiver in point-per-reception leagues, making him a borderline WR3/flex option at best.

Without Hopkins for six games, Brown should be in line for more targets and production, making him a more solidified WR3/flex choice rather than someone who's closer to riding the fantasy bench.

As for the rest of the notable Cardinals, wideouts A.J. Green and Rondale Moore should get slight bumps up, although they are still likely best on fantasy benches for much of the season. Hopkins and Brown will be the primary pass-catching duo when they're both on the field.

James Conner is a borderline RB1 even without the Hopkins suspension, and he could get a slight bump in receiving work. He's likely due for some touchdown regression after scoring 18 times last year, but he did have 239 touches for 1,127 yards (including 37 catches) in 15 games while splitting work with Chase Edmonds. The latter is now a Miami Dolphin, which should free up some additional work for Conner.