DeAndre Hopkins gets three targets in Chiefs debut

In his debut with the Kansas City Chiefs, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was involved from the start and in a variety of ways.

The Chiefs had him spread all over the field in their 27-20 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. Hopkins lined up on the left, right side and even in the slot and finished with two catches for 29 yards.

“It was good having DeAndre there,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said.

Hopkins received two snaps on the first drive of the game. And on the third play of the game – a 3rd and a 7 — He made a quick move before making it 13 yards against zone coverage for his first target and catch as a Chiefs player.

“Whether it's zone or man,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said, “he's a very good route runner. “He understands leverage.”

Even though he didn't begin practice until Thursday after completing his post-trade physical, Hopkins was on the move with 58 seconds left in the first half.

That's a testament to Hopkins' ability to quickly learn the offensive playbook.

“He’s diligent about all of this,” Reid said. “He asks great questions. I wasn't worried about that at all. He’s very smart.”

On the Chiefs' final offensive play of the first half, Hopkins made a historic 16-yard catch.

Patrick Mahomes reached 30,000 passing yards, making him the fastest quarterback in NFL history to do so. Mahomes didn't make it until his 103rd game, although he didn't realize the historic mark until after the game when he was informed of it.

“Obviously an amazing performance,” Mahomes said. “Reaching this milestone is great, but we still have much more to do.”

On the second-to-last play of the first quarter, Mahomes tried to pass a corner to Hopkins, but the ball was overturned.

“I missed him,” Mahomes said. “If they play man coverage against him, he’s going to be open. I have to give him a chance to go out and make plays.”

Hopkins, acquired from the Tennessee Titans for a 2025 fifth-round pick (which can become a fourth-rounder if the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl and Hopkins plays 60% of the snaps), played in the second half but was not targeted while the Chiefs focused on the running game.

Kansas City rushed 19 times in the second half, emphasizing ball control, including a 19-play, 87-yard drive that lasted nine minutes, 43 seconds.

It was Hopkins' first game of the year for Kansas City in the final year of his contract.

There were rumors that he would join the Chiefs in the 2023 offseason, but instead he signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Titans, including a $9.8 million signing bonus and 10.98 guaranteed million US dollars.

Although he didn't exactly show it in his first game with the Chiefs, Hopkins is incredibly confident.

“(He) catches everything,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “I’m glad he’s on our team now.”

Spagnuolo's team is now 7-0 and has won 13 straight games dating back to last season.

But for Hopkins, it's just the beginning.

“He’ll get more chances in the next game,” Reid said.