At one point, DeAndre Hopkins had been among the best wide receivers in the NFL. That included being a First-Team All-Pro selection three straight seasons from 2017 to 2019. So, when the Arizona Cardinals brought him in ahead of the 2020 season, expectations were through the roof.
The Cardinals had initially brought Hopkins in on a trade before giving him a two-year, $54.5 million extension. There wasn’t an immediate downturn, either. In fact, he improved statistically, with 115 receptions for 1,407 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Then, starting in 2021, Hopkins started to struggle to stay healthy. He’d only play in 10 games in 2021, dealing with a hamstring and MCL issue. Worse, going into 2022, he was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s PED policy. He’d be released by the Cardinals after the season.
DeAndre Hopkins Accused Ex-Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim of Setting Him Up
GettyFormer Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim
According to DeAndre Hopkins, that PED suspension wasn’t all that it seemed. In fact, he believes that it came down to a set-up perpetuated by former Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim.
A financial well-being influencer named Tony Robinson accused Keim of being connected to a fraud scheme. It’s unclear what the scheme is or why he accused Keim. However, Hopkins used it as an opportunity to launch his own accusation against Keim regarding that PED suspension.
“I got set up when I played for his team and lost 13 million,” Hopkins wrote. “Skeme Slime was my GM, contaminated drug test go figure how that happened.”
Hopkins would, apparently, later delete the comment. Still, Pandora’s Box had already been opened on the idea.
It’s difficult to say why Hopkins landed on a $13 million figure for the PED suspension. It appears he more likely lost $5.2 million as a direct result of the suspension. At the same time, it’s clear that Hopkins doesn’t fully believe he should’ve been found to have used PEDs. He also shared that he was investigating how the positive tests came back when he was initially suspended.
“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,” Hopkins wrote. “But even as careful as I have been, clearly I wasn’t careful enough.”
Keim would publicly say that Robinson had privately apologized for the accusation that he was involved in some kind of fraud scheme. However, he has not publicly apologized and has left several accusatory posts public.
DeAndre Hopkins is Transitioning to a Coaching Career
GettyDeAndre Hopkins with the Arizona Cardinals
After spending the 2025 season with the Baltimore Ravens, it appears that DeAndre Hopkins has moved on from playing. He’s now getting into coaching.
At the end of July, while Training Camp was underway, Hopkins was with the New England Patriots. There, he’d give the staff a hand, but head coach Mike Vrabel also made it clear that he wasn’t joining the coaching staff.
“Well, it was a great experience,” Vrabel said. “Hop’s not here, but it was a great experience for all of us. I think that’s what we would try to do when you have some of these unique situations where a player, former player or whatever it may be wants to come in, help and learn, and they love football. So, I think it was good for everybody.”
Instead, on July 31st, Hopkins was hired by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He’ll be an assistant wide receivers coach.
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