Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins won’t play the first six games of the regular season. Hopkins tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and reiterated his brand manager’s statement that he has no idea how it happened.
“In my 10-year career, I have never tested positive for using performance enhancing drugs,” Hopkins wrote on social media. “To learn that my November test came back with trace elements of a banned substance, 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. 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.”
Few players admit that they knowingly used PEDs after being caught, so Hopkins’ statement is unsurprising. What will be surprising is if he follows up with more information. He tested positive in November, according to his statement, so he already has had five months to get to the bottom of it.
Hopkins missed only two games in his entire career going into last season. In 2021, he sat out three games with a hamstring injury and the last five games, including the postseason game, with a knee injury.
Now, he will miss at least six games in 2022.