The burning question for the Kansas City Chiefs coming into a new week following their win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7 was whether or not they'd finally find some help at wide receiver. Injuries were taking their toll by the week, and while K.C. was undefeated, it was getting harder and harder to picture an offense going to war in Week 8 with the leftovers remaining on the roster.
Fortunately, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach answered the call and pulled in a significant boost via a trade with the Tennessee Titans before the NFL's trade deadline. In doing so, he shipped out a fifth-round choice in exchange for veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
While Hopkins's addition is undoubtedly a major gain for a team that's lost so many reliable targets on the offensive side, the timing made it questionable just how much impact he might have in the short term. Specifically, would Hopkins play during Raiders week?
The Chiefs are scheduled to visit the Raiders in Week 8 in their first of two divisional matchups this season. While most would typically gloss over this game considering the talent differential, the truth is that every rivalry game is a must-watch between these teams, and it was just last Christmas that Vegas delivered a gut punch of an upset to help interim coach Antonio Pierce retain his job.
The good news is that Hopkins is expected to play. Just how much is still anyone's guess, but Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has been clear that they're going to allow Hopkins to suit up. In fact, Reid said it best: "Why wait, right?"
Reid is exactly right. The Chiefs announced on Monday that they would be without wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster heading into this week due to a hamstring injury. That comes on the heels of his breakout effort to replace Rashee Rice who was lost for the season in Week 4 and that comes after Hollywood Brown was also lost for the year in the preseason.
Before the acquisition of Hopkins, the Chiefs were going to have to lean heavily on rookie Xavier Worthy or hope for far greater performances from Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson than any team ever should. Even Skyy Moore was placed on injured reserve following core muscle surgery—if that tells you anything about the health of the team's wide receiver room.
Hopkins didn't arrive in Kansas City until mid-week, so it'll be interesting to see how much he plays. On the one hand, he might not be able to locate the restrooms at Arrowhead. On the other hand, he's played at an All-Pro level for years in the NFL and has 12 years of experience at the highest level—he should be fine, right?
Expect the instincts of a major wide receiver acquisition to kick in over his lack of familiarity with his Cheifs teammates and start to develop quick chemistry alongside Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce on Sunday. The Chiefs need it.