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The Arizona Cardinals made one of the biggest offseason trades in the NFL, acquiring DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans earlier this offseason. However, that deal is still not finalized, which has caused some to wonder whether it will fall through.
The worry is that the two players—Hopkins and David Johnson—will not pass their physicals, causing the trade to be voided. Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury is not concerned.
“There’s no concern,” Kingsbury told reporters this week (via Mason Kern of Sports Illustrated). “Those (physicals) aren’t official as far as I know at this point, but we’ll get it done. There’s obviously — the medical field and personnel have much bigger fish to fry at this point. It’s been slower than it (normally) would be, but I have no doubts it’ll be done before the draft.”
Neither players have passed their physicals and would likely need to do so before the draft in order for the trade to be completed as it stands. The Cardinals sent the Texans a 2020 second-rounder and the Texans sent the Cardinals a 2020 fourth-rounder in the deal.
What Would Happen if the Deal Gets Nixed?
There’s no reason to believe either side will urge their medical team not to pass their incoming player. It would be unethical for either side to do such a thing. However, stranger things have occurred.
Bill O’Brien’s deal has been heavily criticized. There were reports that Hopkins wanted a lucrative new deal and that’s why O’Brien dealt him. There was also chatter that the two had a difference of opinion during the 2019 season that set the wheels in motion. Either way, many tout the transaction as a fantastic find for Arizona.
The deal falling through would certainly benefit the Texans. The franchise clearly misidentified that market for a top wide receiver, especially with Stefon Diggs garnering the Vikings a first-rounder and a bucket of midround picks from the Bills.
Would the Texans then shop Hopkins to other teams? Would they look to trade with the Cardinals and get better terms (albeit with draft picks in the future)? Both players may simply pass schedule and pass their physicals, though if they are unable to either because of a team dragging their feet or because of coronavirus concerns, a boatload of logistical questions would emerge.
David Johnson’s Volatile Career Path
It’s been a while since Johnson has played a high level consistently. During the 2016 season, the former third-round pick tallied 1,239 rushing yards and 879 receiving yards. Since then, it’s been injuries and disappointment.
Johnson dislocated his wrist mid-way through the Cardinals’ first game of the 2017 season. According to Florio, Johnson’s wrist has a reduced range of motion and it caused some concern with a doctor. Florio notes that the medical professional is not an NFL doctor.
Johnson played 16 games in 2018, and his yards per attempt dropped from 4.2 during his Pro Bowl season to 3.6. It hovered around there during the 2019 season, when he was replaced by Kenyan Drake as the starting running back. Johnson will make $10.2 million next season and that figure is fully guaranteed regardless of which team pays it.