The Houston Texans have agreed to send All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in a blockbuster trade, ESPN reports. The deal will also ship running back David Johnson and his sizable contract to the Texans, who are eating the entirety of Johnson’s deal.
The Texans will receive Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick in exchange for Hopkins and a 2020 fourth-round pick, per ESPN.
While the majority of the sports world has shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL offseason is still going on as planned. Teams have been making deals throughout Monday in anticipation of the start of the new league year Wednesday, which also marks the effective start of free agency.
The Texans’ decision to trade Hopkins, a four-time Pro Bowler, is shocking given his performance. The 27-year-old set career-highs with 115 catches for 1,572 yards in 2018 – quarterback DeShaun Watson’s first full year – then followed it up with 104 catches for 1,165 yards last season.
In each of the last three years, he’s been named an All-Pro.
The Cardinals now have a superstar receiver to pair with their own precocious passer, Kyler Murray, who impressed as a rookie after being selected first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. A 36-year-old Larry Fitzgerald was Arizona’s leading receiver last year with 75 catches for 804 yards, so Hopkins immediately give Murray the No. 1 target he lacked.
This story will be updated.
