Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins will not play the first six games of the regular season. Hopkins was positive about performance-enhancing drugs and reiterated his brand manager’s statement that he had no idea how it happened.
“In my 10-year career, I have never been positive about using performance-enhancing drugs,” Hopkins wrote on social media. “To find out that my November test came back with traces of a banned substance, I was confused and shocked.
“I am very aware of what I am putting into my body and I have always taken a holistic approach, so I am working with my team to investigate how this could have happened. But even as careful as I was, I obviously was not careful enough. For that, I apologize to the Cardinals fans, my teammates and the entire Cardinals organization. I never want to disappoint my team.
“I fully intend to get to the bottom of it. “Once I have more information, I will share it.”
Few players admit that they knowingly used PED after being caught, so Hopkins’s statement comes as no surprise. What will surprise you is if you continue with more information. He came out positive in November, according to his statement, when he already has five months to reach the end.
Hopkins has lost just two games in his entire career since last season. In 2021, he was ruled out of three games with a thigh injury and the last five games, including the post-season game, with a knee injury.
Now, he will lose at least six games in 2022.
