The Kansas City Chiefs filled a big void in what had been an underachieving offense through the first six weeks of the 2024 season.
While Kansas City is 6-0 for the first time in three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ career, this unbeaten start has largely been on the backs of one of the league’s elite defenses while the offense has struggled to find any sort of identity.
What DeAndre Hopkins Adds for Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce is currently the only player on the Chiefs’ active roster who has produced over 200 receiving yards this season.
However, now that general manager Brett Veach and the Chiefs acquired All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans, in exchange for a fifth-round pick in next spring’s NFL Draft, things could be about to go on the upswing for Mahomes and the offense.
One coach suggests Hopkins might not even be the focal point in the Chiefs’ playbook, even with his pedigree and skill-set.
“Early downs will still be good plays for the younger speed players and Andy may feature them even heavier in those spots,” an NFL offensive coach tells me, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about another team. “But in situational plays, it will come down to DeAndre winning matchups and not necessarily out scheming defenses.”
Hopkins’ 6-foot-1 and 212-pound frame make him an ideal red zone weapon for Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense, where the coach believes he will thrive as a big-bodied contested catch target.
Through six starts this season, Hopkins has pulled down 15 receptions for 173 yards with one touchdown, while being hampered by pedestrian quarterback play from the likes of Will Levis and Mason Rudolph in Tennessee.
Now in Kansas City, as potentially Mahomes’ top target with Rashee Rice sidelined, both Hopkins and the Chiefs’ offense have the potential to level up.
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