The Kansas City Chiefs eased in new wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins last week during their win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Hopkins caught two passes for 29 yards on 23 snaps after logging just two practices with the team last week. One of his receptions came on a crucial play with 12 seconds left in the first half that allowed Harrison Butker to convert a field goal from comfortable range.
There were also multiple other instances where he got open but quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn't look his way. It was an encouraging debut for Hopkins, and now he'll have the opportunity to really put his stamp on the offense in his second outing for Kansas City against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy told reporters on Friday that Hopkins has done a great job of picking up the playbook in such a short amount of time.
"Probably the biggest thing for me, I'm impressed with just his ability to pick up the offense," Nagy said. "He's done a great job. Came in last week and wanted to do as much as he possibly could. We knew we had to keep a little bit of an eye on how much we could give him on somewhat of a short week. But, he's been great. Love his attitude, super smart, you know, really understands football. You know, obviously the the football part on the field, within the plays, is easy for him because he's played so much. Just taking what we do and implementing it into that is where I think he's excelled."
Chiefs pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier discussed what type of leadership and passion Hopkins has already put on display.
"Yeah, just veteran intensity," Bleymaier said. "He wants to come in and do what he's done his whole career. So, he puts a lot of pressure on himself, just that intensity. It's almost that excitement level when training camp first starts and and the guys are new to the system and really eager to learn. He's brought that. It's kind of a rebirth for everybody being around him, just, yeah, just that intensity. And then, obviously his track record on the field and what he's done in the past, the guys look up to him and are able to go talk to him. So, it's been great just seeing that."
With Hopkins being a 12-year NFL veteran and knowing what it takes to play at an elite level, he doesn't have to go through a big learning curve, which is one of many reasons why it made sense for the Chiefs to trade for him. It also appears that his practice habits are already rubbing off on his new teammates.
Hopkins could have a big outing against the Buccaneers, who rank 29th in pass defense and have allowed the third-most receiving touchdowns in the league. Tampa Bay could also be without star safety Antoine Winfield Jr., which would be a major blow to its secondary.
