Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins of Central, South Carolina is out the rest of the regular season due to a torn medial collateral ligament according to Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated. Hopkins suffered the injury near the end of the Cardinals game against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, a 30-23 Rams win.
The estimated time for Hopkins to be out at this time is approximately six weeks. That would make Hopkins available to return to the Cardinals lineup for the National Football Conference Divisional Playoff games (the second round of the NFL postseason). One must realize the Cardinals would have to get by their wildcard game first. Only the first seed from each conference get a first round bye now after the NFL changed its playoff system a season ago.
The Cardinals are currently in a three-way tie for first in the NFC with the Bay of Pigs squads–the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All three teams are at 10 wins and three losses. When it comes to a tie-breaker the Cardinals could be at a disadvantage because they lost 24-21 to the Green Bay Packers on October 28. All three of the Cardinals this season have been to NFC opponents.
So far this season, Hopkins has 42 catches for 572 yards. It is his second season in Arizona after seven seasons with the Houston Texans. Hopkins was traded from Houston to Arizona in a deal that saw running back David Johnson go to the Texans on March 20, 2020. Hopkins has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times with the Texans, and once with the Cardinals.
