KANSAS CITY, Mo. — DeAndre Hopkins has been around the league for a while, and the Kansas City Chiefs are his fourth team in 12 NFL seasons. But in a way, Hopkins felt like a rookie when he arrived in a midseason trade.

Suddenly, he was working with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, Andy Reid and others without ever feeling the pressure of the expectations that came with it. At age 32, this situation was exactly what Hopkins wanted as he began to realize his own mortality in football.

“They’re coming off a championship — two championships — so it feels a lot different than anywhere I’ve been,” said Hopkins, who spent time with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals earlier in his career team enters the playoffs. Either team makes it to the divisional round.

"Everything that everyone does here, not only inside this facility but outside of it, is detailed and that's how you win championships," he added. "It means a lot. It takes your game to a different level. It requires your focus, your drive, and knowing you're playing for something."

Hopkins wasn't the prolific receiver he was earlier in his career with the Chiefs. In the 10 games after taking office, Hopkins caught 41 passes for 437 yards and 4 touchdowns.

But he still helped the Chiefs achieve a 15-2 record, win nine consecutive AFC West titles and the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

"You don't know what's going to happen with the guys on the field and off the field," Mahomes said. "But once he gets in the room, he's been a leader from day one. He's teaching the young guys, he's helping the young guys in the room. There are things learned about him. And then you go out on the practice field and you see how explosive he still is, he can still make these plays, he can go one-on-one with the best players and win.

"Seeing him on the football field was definitely a surprise for me. I think as time goes on I might even be able to give him more and more opportunities because he seems to be kicking every time."

From here, the intensity of the situation only increases. The Chiefs open the 2024 postseason on Saturday against the Texans at Arrowhead Stadium (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC/ESPN+).

That's what Hopkins wants at this point in his career. He was so happy after being traded from Tennessee in October that he later went out of his way to thank Titans general manager Ran Carthon for sending him to the Chiefs instead of a non-competitive team.

"I haven't played meaningful football in a couple years since we probably started (7-0) in Arizona (in 2021), so it's going to take a game to get to a different level," Hopkins said. "I've done a lot of things, personally, with all the accolades I can get, so I think playing meaningful football in January is what's left on the list."

this will take some time It was time to make it happen, but it seemed destined for Hopkins to play for the Chiefs. The Chiefs have been pursuing Hopkins for some time. They had discussed a trade with the Cardinals. They later pursued him when he became a free agent, but he chose the Titans.

The romance came to a head two years ago when Hopkins bumped into Chris Jones at an event in Miami. Their conversation centered around what it would be like if Hopkins played in Kansas City.

"We all thought he was going to be very successful in this offense," Jones said. "A lot of things happened and unfortunately we couldn't get him at the time. But how life works, it's a full circle. Unfortunately, due to injuries, we need a wide receiver."

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is among those who believe Hopkins will head to Kansas City. That was especially true when Hopkins became a free agent two years ago.

The Chiefs lost their leading wide receiver in 2022, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and receiver Mecole Hardman to free agency (both players later returned). They needed someone to lead a group of wide receivers that at the time included Max Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney and Skye Moore.

“We ended up right there, and Tennessee just got to a place where we couldn’t be, money-wise,” Veitch said. "He went to Tennessee, but if we had a way to (sign him) I think he would have been here."

After injuries to wide receivers Rashe Rice and Hollywood Brown, the Chiefs finally made it happen this season, adding Brown and sending a fifth-round pick to the Titans that would have been available if the Chiefs made it to the Super Bowl. The pick will become a fourth-round pick.

when chief After trading for Hopkins, they were looking for a veteran to stabilize their wide receiver corps. Smith-Schuster, Brown and Rice were all sidelined with injuries at the time, but he returned to the lineup in November.

In Hopkins, they found someone willing to lead a group that includes promising rookie and first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy. They saw Hopkins become a leader in training on the first day of practice, at a time when many veterans will respect those who have been with the team longer.

“We bring in some players in the middle of the season and usually the first training session is a trial process,” Veach said. "We got DeAndre and he jumped in front of the team in the first practice. I'm sure that's what he's done his whole career, but I think when you come to a team with a young team This is important when it comes to your team.

"You never know when you're going to bring a guy in in the middle of the season. I think (Hopkins) has a lot of confidence just because of his career and the experience he's had ... he has a lot of confidence in himself. There is a sense of confidence.”

Hopkins has a habit of being his quarterback's favorite target. He led his team in receptions in seven of his first 11 NFL seasons. His first two seasons in the league were the exception. With the Texans, he was behind Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Johnson, and with the Cardinals, he missed several games due to injury.

Hopkins has never played for a team like the Chiefs. One tight end, Kelce, is their leading receiver, while another tight end, Noah Gray, ranks second in touchdown catches. Worthy is the Chiefs' third leading receiver since they traded Tyreek Hill three years ago (Smith-Schuster in 2022 and Rice in 2023).

He has to be willing to accept a smaller role than he has played most of his career. There were no demands for the ball, and no upset when the ball was passed to different receivers.

"He's really not like that," offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. "He'll see something throughout the game and he'll come up to you and say in a voice like, 'Hey, I saw this.' I love that. I know Coach Reed thinks so too. From his Perspective, he also has to understand, “Okay, we got you. "

"He responded well to what we told him and I don't think that should change. He's been in a lot of games. He's seen a lot of things."

Hopkins' eventual induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame appears certain. He ranks 16th all-time in pass catches (984) and 21st all-time in yards (12,965).

Helping the Chiefs win their third consecutive Super Bowl will only cement his legacy. That's why the Chiefs traded him, and why he's grateful to the Titans for sending him to Kansas City.

But he seemed to be enjoying the journey.

"Throughout my career, I've been a big fan of what Andy has done," Hopkins said. "Going against those guys in Houston, they gave us some tough battles, so I always admired him from afar. I haven't been here long, but Coach Reed really pushed me as a player. . He always looks at everything you do and you want to go out and be perfect. You're not going to be perfect, but you want to do your best and he has a standard and you can feel that in the locker room.

"I'm grateful to be here. I'm still coming to terms with it."