DeAndre Hopkins just joined Kansas City, but Andy Reid indicates he’ll likely be playing on Sunday. They’ve got a need at wide receiver, and Hopkins is a capable veteran
"Well, it could be this weekend, we'll just see how he picks [it] up, I've got to get him on the practice field," Reid said before practice today. "Why wait, right? If he can handle it, without putting him in a bad position."
Two other notable veterans switched teams last week, and both played extensively in their first games. Amari Cooper caught 4 touchdowns for Buffalo, including a touchdown, while Davante Adams saw 9 targets (albeit with just 3 completions).
As I noted on the weekend, 13 other pass catchers in the 32-team era switched teams during seasons in which they caught at least 50 passes. In nine of those 15 previous instances (including Cooper and Adams), the player made a positive impact in his first game with his new team – either a touchdown or at least 5 catches.
I see five guys who can be termed misses, and I’ve got them tagged with black dots. Adams, Antonio Bryant, Percy Harvin, Golden Tate and Mohamed Sanu all caught 2-3 passes for 30 or fewer yards. And the late Demaryius Thomas lands in the gray area, with 3 catches for 61 yards. The other nine all came away with positive production in their first games.
Hopkins gets a softball matchup of sorts in his first game, with the Raiders currently in freefall. I could see him in his first game coming up with a touchdown. Or two. He gives them another Kelce-type shorter range target that Mahomes can look to in high-leverage moments. Hopkins can’t run anymore, so I don’t expect him to be catching any touchdowns from 30-plus yards. I will guess that his longest touchdown this year will be under 20 yards.
| TRANSPLANTED PASS CATCHERS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Opp | Result | No | Yds | TD |
| 2003 | Kevin Johnson, Jac. | at NYJ | L 10-13 | 5 | 77 | 0 |
| 2004 | • Antonio Bryant, Cle. | Phil. | L 31-34 | 2 | 26 | 0 |
| 2007 | Chris Chambers, S.D. | Hou. | W 35-10 | 2 | 35 | 1 |
| 2010 | Deion Branch, N.E. | at Balt. | W 23-20 | 9 | 98 | 1 |
| 2011 | Brandon Lloyd, St.L. | at Dall. | L 7-34 | 6 | 74 | 0 |
| 2014 | • Percy Harvin, NYJ | Buff. | L 23-43 | 3 | 22 | 0 |
| 2018 | Amari Cooper, Dall. | Ten. | L 14-28 | 5 | 58 | 1 |
| 2018 | Demaryius Thomas, Hou. | at Den. | W 19-17 | 3 | 61 | 0 |
| 2018 | • Golden Tate, Phil. | Dall. | L 20-27 | 2 | 19 | 0 |
| 2019 | Emmanuel Sanders, S.F. | Car. | W 51-13 | 4 | 25 | 1 |
| 2019 | • Mohamed Sanu, N.E. | Cle. | W 27-13 | 2 | 23 | 0 |
| 2021 | Zach Ertz, Ari. | Hou. | W 31-5 | 3 | 66 | 1 |
| 2022 | T.J. Hockenson, Min. | at Was. | W 20-17 | 9 | 70 | 0 |
| 2024 | Amari Cooper, Buff. | Ten. | W 34-10 | 4 | 66 | 1 |
| 2024 | Davante Adams, NYJ | at Pitt. | L 15-37 | 3 | 30 | 0 |
| 2024 | DeAndre Hopkins, K.C. | at L.V. | ? | ? | ? | ? |
—Ian Allan