Is DeAndre Hopkins playing today vs Bears?

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been out since injuring his hamstring in the team’s Week 8 game versus the Green Bay Packers. The three-time All-Pro has been absent from the starting lineup twice before in his nine-year NFL career.

The Cardinals are making a push to win the NFC West for the first time since 2015 with a current two-game lead over the Los Angeles Rams. Will Cardinals fans see Hopkins this week on the road versus the Chicago Bears?

Will Hopkins Play Today Versus the Bears?

Hopkins had a couple of limited practices as he sat out of practice on Thursday, trying to put his injury to his hamstring behind him. Even though sitting out was sufficient enough to be out on the field after missing three games, Hopkins could be given a snap count by his head coach, Kliff Kingbury.

The reasoning would be to not have any complications to his hamstring and due to the wet weather at Soldier Field in Chicago. Nonetheless, the offense will have the duo Hopkins and quarterback Kyler Murray as Murray makes his return under center.

In the 24 games they have played together in, they average 78.9 yards per game and 13 touchdowns with a 15-9 record.

The five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver joined the Cardinals after spending the first seven years of his career with the Houston Texans. Hopkins, the Texans’ first round pick (27th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft, had five years of over 1,000 yards receiving in his time there, including three over 1,300 receiving yards.

So far this season, he has just 486 receiving yards in eight games and seven touchdown receptions.

In his first year with the Cardinals in 2020, Hopkins added another 1,000-yard receiving year in his career with 1,407 with 115 receptions (160 targets) and six touchdowns. That year, he was tied for second in the league in receptions and second overall in targets.

Hopkins dropped just two passes and got 75 first downs for the Cardinals in receiving. Hopkins played one game against the Bears while with the Texans in 2016.

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He had five receptions on eight targets for 54 yards receiving and a touchdown as the Texans won 23-14.