Ex-Patriots DB likens DeAndre Hopkins' Cardinals exit to 'having a wife on Tinder'

DeAndre Hopkins was recently released by the Arizona Cardinals in one of the most shocking moves of the entire 2023 NFL offseason.

The veteran wide receiver is now officially an unrestricted free agent, which allows him to sign with any NFL team he's interested in that offers him a new contract.

Many around the NFL were surprised with the Cardinals' decision to part ways with their superstar and get nothing in return for him. One former player who chimed in on the developing situation is defensive back Darius Butler.

Here's what Butler had to say in a strange reference during a recent episode of the "Up & Adams" show:

“You kinda saw it coming. He was going to interviews talking about what he’s looking for in his next quarterback or his next team, the next front office. It’s kinda like having a girl or a wife on Tinder just swiping left, swiping right. They dropped him, they moved on. I was surprised they took the cap hit.”

DeAndre Hopkins had been involved in many trade rumors in the early stages of the 2023 NFL offseason as the Cardinals appear to be entering a rebuilding phase. He joins the retired JJ Watt as veteran leaders and key contributors who will no longer be with the team this year.

While it may not be shocking that the Cardinals decided to move on from Hopkins, outright releasing him was surely unexpected. Unlike a trade scenario, his new team will owe nothing in return to Arizona.

Why did the Cardinals cut DeAndre Hopkins?

The most logical explanation for why the Arizona Cardinals decided to cut DeAndre Hopkins instead of trading him is that there may have been no teams interested in surrendering assets for him.

While he's recorded the most total receptions and receiving touchdowns of any player in the NFL since 2013, his massive contract may have been making other teams reluctant to trade for him.

Hopkins was locked into a two-year contract with the Cardinals worth a massive $54.5 million dollars for 2023 and 2024 combined. By cutting him, they created more than $8 million in additional cap space to use on their roster rebuild.

Releasing him also allows him more freedom to choose his next team, so they may have been doing him a bit of a favor as well.

Now that he's officially a free agent, interested teams can begin negotiating the terms of a new contract with DeAndre Hopkins which should open up his list of potential landing spots.