Kansas
Chiefs vs. Texans Snap Counts: What’s the Plan for DeAndre Hopkins?
The Kansas City Chiefs did enough to win against the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, but now it’s time for the reigning back-to-back champions to evaluate Saturday’s win while preparing for the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game.
What surprises came from the Chiefs’ usage of noteworthy players against Houston? A closer look at Kansas City’s snap counts tells several stories worth following.
The Chiefs’ tight end usage was largely par for the course with Travis Kelce recording 76% of Kansas City’s offensive snaps while Noah Gray took 57% and Peyton Hendershot took 27%, though those are season-low numbers for Kelce.
Kelce’s single-game low-percentage mark in 2024 was 77%, while his lowest total snap count number in the regular season was 44. It’s worth noting the slightly decreased workload for Kelce, but KC’s 51 total offensive snaps on Saturday were also a season-low for the Chiefs’ offense with Mahomes at quarterback.
The wide receiver rotation is where the Chiefs’ personnel usage becomes even more interesting.
Rookie Xavier Worthy led Chiefs receivers by taking 42 of the Chiefs’ 51 offensive snaps (82%). Worthy was also the only Chiefs wide receiver to catch a pass on Saturday. Kelce led KC’s pass catchers with Worthy and Gray in tow.
Meanwhile, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown took 34 snaps (67%) but received two incomplete targets. JuJu Smith-Schuster took 21 reps (41%) and was targeted once. DeAndre Hopkins took just 16 snaps (31%) and also received just one target. Justin Watson received his lightest workload of the season by a wide margin, recording only four snaps (8%). Watson’s previous season-low was his 21-snap day (34%) against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas.
Hopkins’s snap count is also his lowest mark of the season after playing at least 23 snaps in every other game as a Chief. That 23-snap game (32%) was Hopkins’s Chiefs debut.
DeAndre Hopkins played 16 snaps (31%) on Saturday, his lightest workload as a member of the Chiefs. He played 23 snaps in his KC debut.
— Joshua Brisco (@jbbrisco) January 20, 2025
It’s hard to imagine Hopkins not receiving a larger workload in the AFC championship game, but it would have been hard to envision the veteran getting fewer than 20 snaps in the divisional round. While Watson appears to be largely phased out as the postseason rotation tightens, will Hopkins remain a niche player, or will the game plan evolve for Buffalo?
The Texans have two exceptional corners and Andy Reid built the entire plane today out of avoiding them. Going at the backers and safeties all day.
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 18, 2025
Cornerback Jaylen Watson took 40 of the Chiefs’ 68 defensive snaps (59%) on Saturday, giving Watson the second-highest workload among Chiefs cornerbacks, trailing only Trent McDuffie (63 snaps, 93%). The Chiefs’ next choice at cornerback was clearly defined as Steve Spagnuolo chose to play Nazeeh Johnson for 34 snaps (50%) while Chris Roland-Wallace took three snaps and Joshua Williams took zero.
Assuming that Watson felt good following Saturday’s showdown, his workload should increase against Buffalo. Still, the Chiefs will need to rely on at least three cornerbacks in coverage on a regular basis. With Chamarri Conner (50 snaps, 74%) back in the slot corner role for the vast majority of his work on Saturday, the Chiefs will likely plan on McDuffie, Watson and Conner staying on the field for the majority of the AFC championship game, while Johnson appears to have the clear upper hand over Williams as the next man up.
The Chiefs’ defensive line controlled much of the divisional round matchup, ending the game with eight sacks of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Defensive end George Karlaftis led Chiefs D-linemen in sacks (three) and snaps taken (58, 85%), with defensive tackle Chris Jones (one sack, 52 snaps, 76%) close behind.
Mike Danna was next in snaps taken (43 snaps, 63%), just ahead of Tershawn Wharton (39, 57%) and Charles Omenihu (35, 51%). The rotation was rounded out by run-stuffers Mike Pennel (20 snaps, 29%) and Derrick Nnadi (nine snaps, 13%) in addition to second-year end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who recorded a sack on one of his six snaps (9%).
Read More: NFL Announces Refereeing Crew for Chiefs vs. Bills AFC Championship Game
Indiana’s portal haul continued to grow Sunday as multiple outlets reported the addition of Kansas State edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi.
Osunsanmi has played in 36 games over the last four years and has 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. Most of that production came over the last two seasons. He has a total of 47 QB pressures during his college career.
In 2025 he played in six games and had 20 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He suffered a season-ending injury in October.
He saw action in all 13 games in 2024 as a reserve defensive end and on special teams, recording 19 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble over 303 defensive snaps and 31 special teams plays.
In 2023 he saw time in all 13 games as a reserve linebacker, a rush end on passing downs and on special teams. He was tied for team-high honors with five tackles on kickoff coverage.
He played in four games in 2022 and preserved his redshirt.
The 6-foot-3 and 250-pound Osunsanmi has one year of eligibility remaining.
The Wichita, Kan. product (Wichita East H.S.) was regarded as the 232nd-best overall player in the nation for the Class of 2022 by 247Sports.
Osunsanmi will help fill the void left by outgoing edge rushers Mikail Kamara, Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley.
More transfer portal information:
For complete coverage of IU football recruiting, GO HERE.
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LAWRENCE — The Division I transfer portal window for college football is open from Jan. 2 through Jan. 16, and that means Sunday is another chance for the Kansas football program to shape its roster.
The Jayhawks already gained one public addition earlier this offseason in Grand Valley State transfer Jibriel Conde — whose signing was announced Dec. 4. Conde, who is making the jump up from Division II, is a 247Sports-rated three-star defensive lineman in the portal and is listed by KU as a defensive tackle. On Saturday, a number of current Kansas players — including redshirt freshman quarterback Isaiah Marshall, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Keaton Kubecka and redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Blake Herold — also outlined in social media posts on X that they are locked in with the program for the 2026 season.
Marshall is set to compete for the starting quarterback job next season. Kubecka has the chance to step up into a more significant role at wide receiver. Herold is in line to be a key part of Kansas’ defensive line.
Those positives, though, don’t outweigh the fact that there has been a sizable group of players who have revealed their intentions to transfer away. Looking overall, when it comes to those whose decisions became public before and after the portal opened, the significant names to know include redshirt senior safety Lyrik Rawls, redshirt junior linebacker Trey Lathan and freshman quarterback David McComb. Lathan led KU in tackles in 2025.
Check in here for more updates during this transfer portal window about a KU team that finished 5-7 during the 2025 season, with transfer ratings as outlined by 247Sports.
Kansas football transfer portal additions
Jibriel Conde (3-star defensive lineman from Grand Valley State) — KU lists him as a defensive tackle
Kansas football transfer portal departures
Joseph Sipp Jr. (linebacker)
Jacoby Davis (cornerback)
Dylan Brooks (defensive end)
Jaidyn Doss (wide receiver)
Carter Lavrusky (offensive lineman)
Trey Lathan (linebacker)
Tyler Mercer (offensive lineman)
Harry Stewart III (running back)
Caleb Redd (3-star edge) — KU lists him as a defensive end
Aundre Gibson (3-star cornerback)
David McComb (3-star quarterback)
Kene Anene (3-star interior offensive lineman) — KU lists him as an offensive lineman
Laquan Robinson (3-star safety)
Jameel Croft Jr. (3-star cornerback)
Logan Brantley (3-star linebacker)
Greydon Grimes (3-star offensive tackle) — KU lists him as an offensive lineman
Jon Jon Kamara (3-star linebacker)
Lyrik Rawls (3-star safety)
Damani Maxson (3-star safety)
Jaden Hamm (tight end)
Bryce Cohoon (wide receiver)
JaCorey Stewart (linebacker)
Johnny Thompson Jr. (running back)
Efren Jasso (punter)
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Hundreds of people packed the Gem Theatre over the weekend to celebrate Kwanzaa.
The celebrations run nightly through January 1. Each night highlights a different core value, including unity, cooperation and faith.
The event features local vendors and performances. Organizers say it’s a great way to start the new year.
The Kwanzaa celebration is free and open to everyone.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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