Life just got more challenging for Kyler Murray for the first half of the season. DeAndre Hopkins has been suspended for nearly a third of the year for violating the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Drug policy.

#AZCardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins withdrew his appeal, source said. So, now official:

Hopkins is suspended without pay for the first six games of the 2022 regular season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 2, 2022

As Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network and NFL.com reported, Hopkins withdrew his appeal and will not receive a paycheck for a good chunk of the year.

The Cardinals had the foresight to make a move to address this problem at the NFL Draft when they acquired Marquise Brown from the Baltimore Ravens for their first-round pick. Brown will do even more heavy lifting with former college teammate Kyler Murray as the number one wideout while Hopkins is out.

Hopkins is coming off one of his most challenging seasons as a pro. Battling injuries, the soon-to-be 30-year-old played in a career-low 10 games and averaged a personal worst of 57.2 yards a contest.

The FanDuel Sportsbook has Arizona behind the Rams and 49ers to win the NFC West, with +310 odds.