The Arizona Cardinals came out of the gate as the hottest NFL Team. They were the last undefeated team to lose and have fared really really well with bad injuries this season. To make things even better it was their first season where they won more than 9 games since 2015. So what could be the negative? Well how about their star wide receiver being injured.
It has been confirmed that DeAndre Hopkins will miss the rest of the regular season after undergoing surgery for a sprained knee suffered against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night football.
The expected recovery time is six weeks, which means the 29-year-old could possibly return in one scenario: if the 10-3 Cardinals make a deep playoff run to the super bowl but they most likely won’t get there now with his help he would only be able to help if they get to travel to SoFi Stadium for the big game.
He’s only played 10 games this season, but Hopkins’ impact has been undeniable and one of the biggest reasons why Kyler Murray is looking like an All Star this season.
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His eight receiving TDs lead the team and rank fifth in the league.
He’s averaging the most YPG (57.2) on the team with the third-most receptions (42).
Last season, he was one of the league’s top WRs, catching 115 passes (2nd in the NFL) for 1,407 yards (3rd).
Including Week 8 — in which he played only 13 snaps — the Cardinals are 2-2 and averaging only 21.3 points per game when Hopkins doesn’t play. Their season average is 28.2.
The injuries are only a recent concern for “Nuk” — he missed only two games in his first eight seasons, but is on pace to miss seven this year.
Hopkins’ five-year, $81 million contract with Houston signed in 2017 extends through next season. His two-year, $54.5 million extension with Arizona begins in 2023.
The Cards lead the Rams by a game in the NFC West, hold the 3-seed in the playoff picture, and have the seventh-easiest remaining schedule.
So futures bets are going down now that this has been announced. Following key injuries is crucial to making proper future bets and hedging accordingly.