Insider Reveals Potential Workload for DeAndre Hopkins in Chiefs Debut

How involved will wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins be in Week 8 as he makes his Chiefs debut against the Raiders? A league insider spoke about it on Sunday.

Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) stretches during the Tennessee Titans mandatory mini-camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, June 5, 2024. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

When the Kansas City Chiefs take the field on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, they'll be doing so with a new face in the fold. Following a trade during the week, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is set to debut with the back-to-back Super Bowl winners in Week 8.

How much will Hopkins play, though? That's a question that's been asked throughout the week as the veteran wideout worked to acclimate himself in Kansas City. It's well-documented, for better or worse, how complicated the Chiefs' offense is and how it isn't always easy for players to have immediate success in Andy Reid and Matt Nagy's system. With Reid seeming ready to put Hopkins on the field and Nagy outlining the onboarding process, though, that set the table for a meaningful effort on Sunday.

That doesn't seem to just be smoke from the Chiefs. On Sunday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Hopkins will get "significant snaps" against the Raiders.

"Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs also got an infusion of star power for their roster this week," Rapoport began. "DeAndre Hopkins is expected to play today. From what I understand, he is going to see significant snaps. I was told they gave him as much as he could possibly handle; he retained a lot of it. We are going to see him plenty, and that should increase more in the coming weeks. The undefeated team in the NFL just added a huge, huge weapon."

Considering the lack of depth at the wideout position, it would be a big-time boost for the Chiefs if Hopkins was able to factor into the game plan on Sunday. Not only did Skyy Moore recently go on the injured reserve list with a core muscle issue, but JuJu Smith-Schuster is missing Week 8 with a nagging hamstring injury. That leaves a mix of youngsters (Xavier Worthy), role player-level vets (Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson) and a practice squad elevation (Montrell Washington) to pick up the pieces. Hopkins being included in that group is a massive plus.

How many snaps would be deemed significant? That's slightly subjective, but blending Kansas City's history with this year's recent developments could help figure it out. In the last two seasons, the team's in-season trade pickups have logged 11 (Hardman in 2023) and nine (Kadarius Toney in 2022) snaps in their first games with (or back with) the Chiefs. On the other hand, Hopkins is a different caliber of wideout. His involvement could be somewhere in between Amari Cooper's debut with the Buffalo Bills (19 snaps, 35% overall) and Davante Adams's reunion with Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets (55 snaps, 96%).

Certainly don't expect Hopkins to be on the field for a full workload. With that said, it's reasonable to anticipate him making an impact despite only being in Kansas City for a few days. The All-Pro is back to playing meaningful football, which is good for both sides.

Read More: Kansas City Chiefs Stats and Milestones for Week 8 vs. Las Vegas Raiders