"It has damaged his legacy" - NFL analyst believes DeAndre Hopkins' suspension could put a dent on his Hall of Fame ambitions
DeAndre Hopkins and his suspension from the NFL could act as an impediment to the wide receiver getting into the Hall of Fame, according to one NFL analyst.
Marcellus Wiley said on the Fox Sports 1 show Speak for Yourself that the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver has damaged his legacy due to his suspension, damaging his chances of being a Hall of Famer:
“What it has done is damage his legacy, damage the perception of DeAndre Hopkins... Pretty pure legacy in terms of how you made your name, how you made quarterbacks look better than they really were in terms of their talent level."
He continued with:
"How no matter what adversity he faced, in terms of his relationship with the quarterback. He made himself a bonafide Hall of Famer. But now that's gonna be a different conversation.”
Cardinals’ Pro-Bowl WR DeAndre Hopkins is being suspended six games for violating the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Drug policy, league sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/hNGNX4Aegx
Wiley concluded his point by stating he doesn’t have respect for those caught with performance enhancing drugs:
“I always testified I don't respect anybody who gets caught with performance enhancing drugs... That's the cheat code.”
What Happened to DeAndre Hopkins?
The Cardinals receiver was suspended for six games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He sent out a tweet, saying how confused he was about the news, saying he’s looking into how this could’ve happened:
"I was confused and shocked. I am very mindful of what I put in my body and have always taken a holistic approach, so I am working with my team to investigate how this could've happened.”
See you Week 7. https://t.co/rHTofEx7jK
He also apologized to his teammates, fans, and the entire organization for his suspension:
"But even as careful as I have been, clearly I wasn't careful enough. For that, I apologize to Cardinals fans, my teammates, and the entire Cardinals organization. I never want to let my team down. I fully intend to get to the bottom of this. As soon as I have more information, I will share it."
He’ll be entering his third season with Arizona when the 2022 season starts but won’t see the field until Week Seven of the season. The Cardinals will undoubtedly be weaker in the absence of the star wide receiver, who has accumulated 10,581 yards and 68 touchdowns during his 9 regular seasons in the league.