Instant Impact: DeAndre Hopkins Has Monster Debut For Cardinals

Big Red

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Mar 16, 2019
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When Kliff Kingsbury was an assistant coach at the University of Houston, he liked to spend his Sundays watching DeAndre Hopkins dominate for the Texans.


The Cardinals' coach is enjoying this up-close view even more.


Hopkins had a phenomenal debut for the Cardinals following his blockbuster addition this offseason, catching a career-high 14 passes for 151 yards in a 24-20 road upset of the 49ers on Sunday.


The All-Pro receiver didn't find the end zone, but went down inside the 1-yard-line on a 33-yard reception late in the fourth quarter, and running back Kenyan Drake scored on the next play for the game-winning points.


"I love the way he plays the game on Sunday," Kingsbury said. "He plays with a passion and a toughness that's fun to be around. To watch him do it today – I didn't know he was going to go for that many catches. But he got hot, and Kyler (Murray) and him got in a rhythm. I'm just excited that he's a part of our organization."


There was never doubting Hopkins' talent, but it was fair to question if he would make this type of immediate impact. He had to deal with a new scheme, a new playcaller and a new quarterback, all while missing a significant chunk of training camp with a hamstring injury.


None of that mattered after kickoff, as Hopkins instantly became the go-to guy on an offense in need of one.


"Kyler kept giving me the ball, kept feeding me, and we kept making plays," Hopkins said.


Hopkins signed a contract extension last week that ties him to the Cardinals through the 2024 season. He is ecstatic to be with the Cardinals and has spoken of pairing with Murray for the years to come.


After one game, the Cardinals have to be thrilled with the duo's potential moving forward.


"After what you guys (in the media) saw today, the sky's the limit on what this team can do," Hopkins said.

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