Arizona Cardinals must rely on everyone to weather storm of DeAndre Hopkins' suspension

The trust and confidence Kyler Murray has in DeAndre Hopkins is so powerful, the Cardinals quarterback could close his eyes and throw a pass in the wide receiver’s general direction and know Hopkins would come down with it somehow, someway.

“It’s DeAndre Hopkins,” Murray said. “I mean, his name speaks for itself. Ever since we acquired him, the trust has been through the roof. There’s not much to say. He’s one of the best to ever do it. When I throw the ball his way, I’m expecting a catch, for sure.”

Since entering the NFL in 2013, Hopkins ranks first in receptions (789), second in receiving yards (10,500) and fourth in touchdown catches (68). But Murray and the Cardinals won’t be able to lean on the four-time All-Pro for the first six weeks of the season as Hopkins serves his suspension for testing positive for a banned PED.

Hopkins had missed only two games in his career until last season, when a hamstring issue forced him to miss three weeks and then a knee injury eventually knocked him out of the lineup for good. He was sidelined for eight games overall, including Arizona’s playoff loss to the Rams, and by the time his suspension is over, he will have missed 14 of his past 16 games.

That’s a ton of lost time for a team to be without its No. 1 wideout. If the Cardinals are going to return to the postseason, they’ll have to find a way to negotiate their way through the first third of the schedule while Hopkins is banned from the practice facility and not allowed to have any contact with the team whatsoever.

Former Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson was named to the Pro Bowl each of his first eight seasons, but when he returned from a six-game suspension in 2019, he wasn’t the same player. He didn’t move fast and free. He was a step slower and not always in the right position. A big reason likely was because he couldn’t practice with the team and had to work out on his own.

It’s just not the same. But it’s up to Hopkins to find a way to keep pace as an outsider regardless.

“Just handle his business,” coach Kliff Kingsbury said when asked what he expects out of Hopkins during his time away from the team. “I know he’s going to be highly motivated after last year and not being able to finish the season and then having to start off this season without playing.

“So, it’s coming in in the best shape of his life and staying locked into what we’re doing schematically so when we do get him back it feels like he hasn’t skipped a beat, which is what I think he’s planning to do.”

Hopkins said he intends to mimic what his fellow receivers are doing in drills and individual work to keep himself ready. It’s all he can do, really. But what about the Cardinals? After admitting he didn’t do enough to alter the offense when Hopkins got hurt last season, Kingsbury has had months to prepare for Hopkins’ six-game suspension. Though he has come up with a game plan on how to replace Hopkins in the lineup, Kingsbury wasn’t about to share it publicly.

Read more: Hopkins isn't sweating 6-game suspension, but wishes he had a do-over

Suffice it to say, of course, that he’s going to be heavily relying on his other top three wide receivers — Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, A.J. Green and Rondale Moore — to keep the Cardinals’ offense rolling during Hopkins’ hiatus.

The team was aware of Hopkins’ suspension before the draft, which is one of the reasons it made the trade with Baltimore to acquire Brown, one of the fastest receivers in the league. He can get behind a defense, too, having scored seven touchdowns of 40 yards or longer. Last season, he set career highs in receptions (91) and receiving yards (1,008).

“He brings a total different dynamic when he’s on the field,” Cardinals receivers coach Shawn Jefferson said, adding of Brown’s built-in chemistry with former college teammate Murray, “Those two guys are close. I’ve spent enough time with them now. They’re close. They’re like brothers. They’re really, really close. I’m sure he’s going to get a lot of balls when both of them get on the field together.”

Don’t discount what the veteran Green can provide, meanwhile. He’s now 34, but he can still move and at 6 feet, 4 inches tall, can still go up and snag 50-50 balls. Green, who flirted with 1,000 yards last year in his debut season in Arizona, is also in a better place mentally with the playbook and Kingsbury’s offense.

“I don’t have the anxiety going out to practice not knowing the playbook, that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “Coming in and being more comfortable, I can just go out there and play freely. I had an OK year last year and I feel like that was just scratching the surface because this year I feel much more comfortable in the offense and I can just go out there and play without even really thinking about it.”

As for Moore, he’s expected to be the wildcard of the bunch. With his role expanding greatly in his second NFL season, he’s viewed as the Cardinals’ most likely breakout candidate. Kingsbury and Jefferson have said Moore will be used inside, outside and out of the backfield.

“Whatever they have in store, whatever’s the plan, I’m ready for It,” Moore said. “For me, my approach stays the same — just go out there, work hard and continue to stay in my playbook.”

Just like learning to play without pass rusher Chandler Jones, trying to replace a superstar like Hopkins can’t be done with just one player, even if it’s only for six weeks. In addition to leaning on Brown, Green and Moore, look for Kingsbury to further utilize a deep tight end room featuring Zach Ertz, Maxx Williams and rookie Trey McBride while also depending on a heavy rushing attack led by James Conner.

If they do it together, the Cardinals have a chance to weather the storm of Hopkins’ suspension. But it won’t be easy. Hopkins, after all, is one of just four players in NFL history (Torry Holt, Marvin Harrison, Antonio Brown) to have 750 or more receptions, 10,500 or more receiving yards and 65 or more touchdown catches in his first nine seasons.

“I watched a lot of film of last year and he was a big part of the offense,” Hollywood Brown said, “so for everybody around since I’ve been here, it’s to step up. Rondale, even (Greg) Dortch, guys want to step up. They want to leave their mark. My job is to come in and make it easier on everybody and do the best I can so when Hop comes back, they’re going to have a lot to think about.”

And what will Hopkins be thinking about while he watches his teammates from afar via television?

“I’m a patient guy,” he said. “I don’t get too frustrated with things. I don’t get too up and down. I deal with real life every day. I don’t think it’s something I’ll be too antsy about. I love the game. But it will be hard watching those guys and not being there.”

Have an opinion on the Arizona Cardinals? Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.com and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac. Listen to him live on Fox Sports 910-AM every Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals must pull together during DeAndre Hopkins' 6-game suspension