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The Cardinals on Friday announced the release of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins after three seasons in Arizona.

The move comes after weeks of speculation and with the Cardinals unable to find a trade partner.

Arizona will absorb a dead salary cap hit of $21 million in 2023, but he will be cleared from the books after that. They could declare him a June 1 cut, which would allow them to spread the hit evenly over this season and next if they choose.

Hopkins never publicly said he wanted to leave, but he never said he wanted to stay either, and multiple times in national interviews had been willing to talk about other teams or other quarterbacks with whom he was intrigued to play with.

Earlier this week, Hopkins was asked what he was looking for in a team.

"What I want is stable management upstairs, that's something I haven't really had the past couple years of my career coming from Houston and then to Arizona," Hopkins said. "A QB who loves the game, a QB who brings everybody on board with him, not just himself but everybody around him. ... And a great defense. A great defense wins championships."

On a recent appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast, Hopkins listed the five QBs he’d most like to catch passes from: the Bills’ Josh Allen, the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert.

Hopkins, acquired in 2020 along with a fourth-round pick for a second-round pick, running back David Johnson and a future fourth-round pick, was excellent that first season. He had a franchise-record 115 catches for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns while earning second-team All-Pro honors.

His second season, he missed seven games with hamstring and then a knee injury, although his still scored eight touchdowns in 10 games on 42 catches for 572 yards. His third season was marred before it even started when he was suspended for the first six games of 2022 after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

He played well in the nine games after he returned, making 64 catches for 717 yards and three TDs, but his numbers suffered when the Cardinals incurred quarterback injuries, and then Hopkins sat the last two games of the season with concerns about his knee.

Hopkins had only missed two games in his first eight seasons.

He leaves after generating 221 receptions for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns in 35 games with the Cardinals.

With Hopkins' departure, the Cardinals' No. 1 receiver is now Marquise Brown, with Rondale Moore, Zach Pascal, Greg Dortch and third-round pick Michael Wilson the next options on the depth chart.

Stay tuned. We'll obviously have more when Hopkins finds a new home.