DeAndre Hopkins made and deleted a tweet claiming he was 'set up' regarding a failed PED test. Steve Keim denied the allegation.
DeAndre Hopkins is generating offseason headlines for the wrong reasons. He posted and quickly deleted a tweet claiming he was "set up" over a failed PED test, directly accusing former Cardinals GM Steve Keim of manipulating the result — an allegation Keim has denied. There's no confirmation yet of a suspension, length of any ban, or how this affects his roster status, so treat this as an unresolved distraction rather than a settled outcome.
For draft prep, this is a caution flag more than a value-killer right now. If a PED violation is substantiated and results in a suspension, that would directly cost Hopkins game time and tank his early-season floor, pushing him down draft boards significantly. But since nothing here confirms discipline has been handed down — just dueling accusations and a deleted tweet — you shouldn't overreact by dropping him outright. Instead, monitor for follow-up reporting on any official ruling from the league before you lock in his draft slot.
Practically speaking, treat Hopkins as a moderate-risk, capped-upside dart throw in the mid-to-late rounds until there's clarity. Avoid drafting him as a core WR2/3 piece with sight-unseen confidence; instead, consider him more of a value flier who could pay off if this blows over with no discipline, or become a wasted pick if a suspension is confirmed. Confidence here is low given the speculative, he-said-he-said nature of the reporting — don't build your draft strategy around a worst-case assumption yet, but stay away from valuing him at his pre-controversy price point either.
Former Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins recently tweeted, then deleted, a claim that he was "set up" regarding a failed PED test.