DeAndre Hopkins spent Wednesday morning hanging out with kids who had won an all-expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. In the evening, he was in the lineup for the celebrity softball game of Phoenix Suns center JaVale McGee.
That was when the Cardinals wide receiver spoke to the media for the first time about his six-game suspension he is facing to open the 2022 season.
"I've been good," Hopkins told reporters. "I have to miss six games, but you know, the team will be ready. And I'll be ready when I'm up."
As when he first got suspended and released a statement over social media, Hopkins reiterated he is trying to figure out exactly why he tested positive and still hopes the suspension could still shrink at least some.
"We're still doing some research right now," Hopkins said. "Hopefully, before the season starts, maybe we can get the games down a little bit. But no, it wasn't on me. I'm a natural. I'm pretty much a naturopathic kind of person. It's called Ostarine and there was 0.1 percent of it found in my system and if you know what that is, it's contamination and not something directly taken.
"I don't take any supplements, I've never taken supplements, I barely take vitamins. When this happened to me I was shocked, but my (group), we're still trying to find out what's going on."
A change in suspension seems unlikely, since suspensions aren't announced until the appeal process has been exhausted. Nevertheless, Hopkins remains a daily attendee to the Dignity Health Training Center as he completes rehab on his knee and works toward getting back on the field -- whether that is Week 7 or not.
"I'm a competitor so anytime I'm not on the field, for me, it's frustrating," Hopkins said. "But that's the NFL. Next man up. I have no doubt those guys will win those six games until I'm ready."
