Trading DeAndre Hopkins Should be Illegal

Last season, the Houston Texans had DeAndre Hopkins. They had a 24-0 lead in a playoff game against the Chiefs. Things seemed to be going pretty well. They went on to lose the same game by a 51-31 score. They traded Hopkins to the Cardinals, Now, they are 2-7 in 2020.

Deshaun Watson (2,539 yards, 18 TD’s, 5 INT’s) has been putting up good numbers. But, having one of the top-three worst run games in the league doesn’t help. Having inconsistent receivers doesn’t either. These numbers have often times come in blowouts and in garbage time.

Hopkins meanwhile has 67 catches for 861 yards and four touchdowns. He had 14(!) receptions in his debut with Arizona. He’s caught 10+ balls in three and he just had one of the most impressive catches of all-time on Sunday.

SO… WHY DID THE TEXANS TRADE HIM? It was probably because Bill O’Brien didn’t like him, so he used his GM powers to move him. YIKES. YIKES. YIKES.

You Wouldn’t Trade DeAndre Hopkins in Madden…

If you’re an avid Madden player like I used to be, you know one thing to be true. There is no such thing as rebuilding. Every year, you put the best team possible together, and go out and try and win as many games as possible in the regular season. After that, you try and win the Super Bowl.

Along the way, you play the role of GM and hope to acquire some talent. Sometimes you’re lucky, other times, not so much. BUT… WOULD YOU EVER consider trading your best player because of a personal dispute? The chances are very low.

The point of playing the game is to win. Professionalism doesn’t exactly come into play given that this is a video game, but it should be considered illegal to trade a player with that much talent.

Imagine you’re the Texans. The team is 6-1. The trade deadline is approaching. You opt to trade DeAndre Hopkins to another team to a washed up running back and second-round pick. That’s what Houston did. That sounds like a joke the guys on Impractical Jokers would ask each other to play.

BUT IT REALLY HAPPENED.

You Wouldn’t Trade DeAndre Hopkins in Fantasy…

I’ve been playing Fantasy Football for 12 years now, and have completed very few trades in my time. None of those deals included Hopkins. Have you ever talked to your friend and they’re like “Yeah man, I’m trading Hopkins! I can pick up a guy from this other team’s bench. It’s a good deal.” Probably not.

David Johnson wasn’t even starting in Arizona. And that’s basically what you got for him. If you are playing fantasy and a guy of his caliber suddenly comes available, you’d at least try and court the other person, send them some fair offers. No horrible deal would be accepted.

To think that Bill O’Brien basically mortgaged Deshaun Watson’s prime for a bag of chips and laundry detergent, is terrible. And he’s gone, having been fired several weeks ago.

Arizona is Reaping the Benefits

When you can acquire a generational talent at the wide receiver position to pair with your young phenom QB, chances are the results will be beautiful. And that is exactly the case with the 2020 Cardinals.

Hopkins has been dominating from his first game with the Cardinals, and the amazing catch on Sunday is just the latest example. It also helps that the team has a 17-year veteran in Larry Fitzgerald to mentor him even further.

Kyler Murray is capable of running the ball as effectively as any running back. He’s shifty and tough to tackle. He also has a cannon, as seen on the hail mary play against the Bills. He has the team at a 6-3 clip. How many of these wins do they have without the presence of DeAndre Hopkins? Definitely not 6.

Hopkins has had 100+ catches three times in his career. He’s well on his way to doing it again. He should never have been traded. But, he incidentally landed in the perfect situation for himself.

In Conclusion

Trading DeAndre Hopkins should be illegal. He’s the best receiver in the game right now, and Houston got almost nothing in return for his services. That’s on them, for not knowing how to bargain.

If you were working a corporate job, would you ever trade your best (unruly) client to the rival firm in order to get extra desk space? PROBABLY NOT. It sounds illegal.

So, kids, here’s what I hope you took away from this article. DON’T EVER TRADE YOUR DEANDRE HOPKINS.