Kansas City Chiefs fans won’t have to wait long to get their first look at DeAndre Hopkins in the team’s offense.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed that the star wide receiver will play in Kansas City’s upcoming Week 8 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Why wait, right?” Reid answered when asked about Hopkins’ impending debut, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Hopkins’ debut for Kansas City will come less than one week after the Chiefs acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans. Kansas City sent the Titans a conditional fourth-round pick as a part of the deal.
The Chiefs’ acquisition of Hopkins comes amid a season in which the Kansas City wide receiving corps has been decimated by injuries. Both Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Rashee Rice have been ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury, while Skyy Moore was placed on injured reserve on Thursday due to a core muscle injury.
Despite being 32-years-old, Hopkins has remained a productive NFL receiver in recent seasons. Appearing in 17 games with the Titans in 2023, the five-time Pro Bowl selection caught 75 passes for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns, before netting 15 catches for 173 yards and one score in the first six games of the 2024 campaign.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.