Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins had a message for his 1.5 million Instagram followers on Monday:
“FREE ME I’m innocent.”
Last month, the NFLPA released a statement on Hopkins’ suspension, discrediting some of the reporting surrounding the All-Pro wideout’s PED test.
Writing:
On May 2, 2022 the NFL Network reported that DeAndre Hopkins’ suspension came after producing a positive test result for a ‘prohibited substance plus a diuretic or masking agent/attempt to substitute, dilute or adulterate a specimen/attempt to manipulate a test result.’ This reporting was incorrect as Hopkins never tested positive for any diuretic or masking agent and there was absolutely no evidence of any attempt to substitute, dilute or adulterate any specimen or any attempt to manipulate a test.
Hopkins tested positive for a trace amount of Ostarine, a substance banned by the NFL.
“I’ve never taken any of that kind of stuff,” D-Hop told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM over the weekend. “If you know about what it is, it can be in shampoo, it can be in a lot of different things. Obviously the NFL is very black and white, so of course, I wish the rule wasn’t so black and white. It is what it is.”
“It’s hard to know what you can eat, what you can do when you’re not in control of manufacturing anything or what goes through a conveyor belt, you know what I’m saying?” he continued. “So, obviously, I do think that rules should change. But like I said, that stuff, it’ll work itself out, and I’ve never taken anything. I barely take vitamins.”
Meanwhile, DeAndre Hopkins former teammate Deshaun Watson received the same six-game suspension after sexual misconduct allegations from over 20 minute.