Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Deandre Hopkins addressed his six-game suspension in a statement shared on his verified social media accounts Monday night.
"In my 10-year NFL career, I have never tested positive for using performance-enhancing drugs," Hopkins said. "To learn that my November test came back with trace elements of a banned substance, I was confused and shocked.
"I am very mindful of what I put in my body and have always taken a holistic approach, so I am working with my team to investigate how this could've happened. But even as careful as I have been, clearly I wasn't careful enough. For that, I apologize to Cardinals fans, my teammates, and the entire Cardinals organization. I never want to let my team down.
"I fully intend to get to the bottom of this. As soon as I have more information I will share it."
On Monday, league sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Hopkins was suspended six games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drugs policy.
A source with knowledge confirmed to Schefter that Hopkins withdrew his suspension appeal and a suspension for the first six games of the 2022 season will stand.
The news comes days after the Cardinals acquired fellow wide receiver Marquise Brown in a draft-day trade with the Baltimore Ravens.
Hopkins, who will turn 30 next month, is coming off a season plagued by injuries, recording career lows in receptions (42) and receiving yards (572).
Hopkins missed three games during the middle of the season due to an ankle injury, as well as the Cardinals' final four regular-season games and Wild Card Round loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams due to an MCL injury he experienced in Week 14.
Arizona went 3-4 in the seven games without Hopkins during the regular season before dropping a 34-11 playoff loss to the Rams.
Prior to his injuries in 2022, Hopkins had only missed two regular-season games during the first eight years of his NFL career, the majority of which were spent with the Houston Texans before being traded to the Cardinals prior to the 2020 season.
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