The Cardinals acquired all-pro WR DeAndre Hopkins in a trade.
The Arizona Cardinals have added one of the NFL’s top receivers to join an intriguing young team aiming to make a big move in the NFC West.
The Cardinals acquired three-time all-pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a trade that will send running back David Johnson and draft picks to the Houston Texans, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the trade hasn’t been officially announced. The NFL’s business year begins Wednesday, when the trade can be completed.
The 27-year-old Hopkins gives the Cardinals a premier receiver to add to a promising core on offense, which includes second-year quarterback Kyler Murray, receivers Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald, and potentially running back Kenyan Drake, to whom Arizona gave the transition tag earlier Monday.
The Cardinals finished with a 5-10-1 record last season under first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury, who is known for his innovative offense. Murray was the No. 1 overall draft pick and had an encouraging rookie season, finishing with 3,722 yards passing and 20 touchdowns. But the Cardinals occasionally struggled to stretch the field vertically for big plays in the passing game. Hopkins’ arrival should help.
Hopkins has three years remaining on a five-year, $81 million deal he signed in 2017. The 6-foot-1, 212-pound veteran has been one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL over the past seven years, topping 1,000 yards receiving in five of seven seasons. He caught 104 passes for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns last year.
The 28-year-old Johnson was an allpro with the Cardinals in 2016 during his second season but hasn’t been able to match those numbers in the past three years. He battled injuries for much of 2019 and finished with 345 yards rushing and 370 yards receiving.
Johnson has two years remaining on a three-year, $39 million extension he signed in 2018.
In other developments:
❚ The Dallas Cowboys have placed their exclusive franchise tag on Dak Prescott, securing the rights to their star quarterback for an estimated $31.5 million while the sides continue working on a long-term deal.
By using the tag on Prescott, the Cowboys will keep working to get a deal with Amari Cooper as the receiver gets set to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year starts, currently planned for Wednesday.
The Cowboys and Prescott have been working on a deal for about a year. The two-time Pro Bowler was one of the best bargains in the NFL last season with a base salary of $2 million as a fourthround pick in 2016.
❚ The Bengals used their franchise tag on A.J. Green, giving them time to try to work out a long-term deal with the star who is one of the most accomplished receivers in franchise history and would be a vital part of breaking in a new quarterback.
Green, 31, wants to finish his career in Cincinnati, where he has put down roots.
Although he’s open to a multi-year extension that would pay him as an elite receiver, he has objected to staying for only one more season on a franchise designation.
Green has said he’ll skip voluntary offseason workouts if he’s tagged.
❚ The Minnesota Vikings and Kirk Cousins agreed to a two-year, $66 million contract extension, giving the quarterback another eight-figure influx of guaranteed money and providing the team some immediate salary-cap relief.
Cousins was entering the final season of the fully guaranteed, three-year, $84 million contract he signed as a free agent in 2018.
He was scheduled to count $31 million against the salary cap, but this new pact will reduce by $10 million the team’s charge for 2020, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been finalized.
Cousins will be guaranteed $61 million at signing. His $35 million base salary for the 2022 season would also become fully guaranteed a year from now, meaning he’s likely locked in for $96 million over the next three seasons.