Kansas City Chiefs receiver DeAndre Hopkins has had a full plate since being traded from the Tennessee Titans, with the veteran diving into the books to learn Andy Reid's system.
But that's not all the Pro Bowler has been doing.
Along with getting acclimated to his new surroundings and getting comfortable with his teammates, Hopkins has also been playing the role of mentor for the young receivers in the room, particularly rookie Xavier Worthy.
So not only has Hopkins had to deal with a change in teams, but he's also juggling being a mentor to Worthy and others, and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy states that DeAndre's mentorship began as soon as he stepped foot in the facility.
“It started right away,” Nagy said, revealing a truth about the vet. “It was something where I think both guys understand what they're coming into. D-Hop [Hopkins] comes in, he's trying to learn a new way of how we do things here, and then he's kind of learning that wide receiver room.
"Now to have a young rookie who is trying to get his first year under his belt and still find out from D-Hop hey what are some tricks to the trade, what can I do as a rookie. That bond and that friendship starts and it just continues in practice, the dialogue on game day how they talk through that D-Hop’s been amazing and Xavier's [Worthy] taking it all in and I think he's improving as well.”
Hopkins has hit the ground running for the Chiefs, already totaling 430 receiving yards and four touchdowns from 39 receptions, and as for Worthy, the rookie has begun to find his feet in Reid's system.
He is second in yards (559), receptions (51), targets (81) among Chiefs offensive players, and is joint-leader in touchdowns (five). That equates to a solid rookie campaign that still has two games left.
Is Hopkins partly responsible for that? Maybe, but there can be no denying that Worthy is beginning to pick up steam as the playoffs approach.
That is the benefit of having a veteran receiver in the room - they can mentor the younger players on the roster, and we get the sense that DeAndre's presence will be felt in Kansas City long after he's retired.
Why? Because he's helping shape Worthy into being the home-run threat we know he can be.
