They tanking fasho fasho
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) May 26, 2023
There aren’t many NFL players with a greater appreciation for what DeAndre Hopkins brings to the table than Tyrann Mathieu — they were teammates on the Houston Texans back in 2018, when Mathieu had the unenviable task of trying to slow down the All-Pro receiver in practice every day. So when news broke of the Arizona Cardinals’ surprising decision to not only release Hopkins over the weekend, but to do so without maximizing their immediate salary cap benefits, Matheiu’s reaction was appropriately blunt.
“They tanking fasho fasho,” Mathieu wrote from his official Twitter account. He knows Arizona very well, too; he started his NFL career there and has a good idea of the things team owner Michael Bidwill and his management team value and what they don’t. After hiring a new head coach and front office staff while being without Kyler Murray for at least the start of the regular season due to an injury, it’s abundantly clear that the Cardinals aren’t looking to be competitive in 2023.
Choosing to release Hopkins now rather than wait until after June 1 (or using the limited post-June 1 designation) would have ushered in more salary cap savings this year while deferring some costs to 2024, but Arizona chose not to do that. As Mathieu observed, the Cardinals know they aren’t going anywhere or accomplishing much of anything in the fall, so they’re instead playing the long game and settling in for a difficult season with a lot of losses. That decision won’t be popular with fans, but that’s the direction their team is headed.
So could Mathieu help recruit Hopkins to New Orleans? It’s unclear whether the Saints are even interested, but at least one well-connected ESPN reporter sees enough reasons to speculate about a potential match. Hopkins would elevate the Saints receiving corps, but he won’t come cheaply. After the Baltimore Ravens disrupted the free agent market in their deal with Odell Beckham Jr., odds are Hopkins is seeking a contract that many teams won’t be eager to match.
