The connection between Patrick Mahomes and DeAndre Hopkins was instant.
It took no time for the two to get on the same page, and Mahomes has been able to locate Hopkins in key moments during just a few quick weeks with the team. It has made the Kansas City Chiefs offense even more dangerous.
But Hopkins’ impact has shined both on and off the field.
“He gets in the room and he’s a leader from day one,” Mahomes said. “He’s teaching younger guys, he’s helping younger guys in the room about stuff that he’s learned. Then, you get on the practice field, and you see how explosive he still is and how he can still make these plays and he can go one-on-one with the best of the best and win. It was definitely a pleasant surprise for me just seeing him on that football field. I think I can even give him more and more chances as it goes on because he seems like he’s making plays every time I do.”
Showing the ability to win the one-on-ones with such ease even shocked Mahomes.
“I think just the ability to win one-on-one is special. I mean, that truly is special and sometimes it gets lost because whenever you’ve got a guy in the boundary that’s one-on-one with – I mean, like this week, he (DeAndre Hopkins) was with (Broncos CB Patrick) Surtain (II) and Surtain’s one of the best corners in the league and he was winning some of those matchups,” the quarterback explained. “He’s really kind of showcasing that he can win one-on-one versus anybody. That’s stuff that puts pressure on the defense when I’m hitting those guys in those one-on-one matchups and making them push guys over which is opening up everybody else and so that, as well as being able to make tough and contested catches – like the deep cross he had over the middle of the field. That’s stuff that just in my mind shows me that I need to give him more and more chances in those situations.”
Throughout three games with the Chiefs, Hopkins already has 14 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns. With the Tennessee Titans across six games at the start of the season, he had 15 catches for 173 yards and one touchdown.
That just shows how different things are already for the five-time Pro Bowl receiver. And Hopkins is truly enjoying his time playing with Mahomes. He even posted a photo of Tom Brady and Randy Moss hugging on his social media pages after being traded, likening his connection with Mahomes to that of Brady and Moss.
So what did the MVP quarterback think of this post by Hopkins?
“It was definitely a – it’s definitely a cool photo because you know what they (Tom Brady and Randy Moss) did together. D-Hop (DeAndre Hopkins) is a receiver that’s on that level where he’s going to be a Hall of Famer and I’m trying to get to as close as I can to Tom (Brady) as possible,” he told reporters. “I mean other than the stats and all that different type of stuff, I want to get that Super Bowl ring, so if we can go get that one, I’ll be good to post a picture of our own.”
Anything is possible with this dynamic duo.
