Hopkins expressed that games like Saturday are why the Chiefs brought him here.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins stepped to the podium with a focused demeanor, ready to address the high-stakes matchup this Saturday against his former team, the Houston Texans.
For Hopkins, this game isn’t just about another playoff appearance — it’s an opportunity to validate his impact on a Chiefs squad that traded a fifth-round pick to acquire him from the Tennessee Titans before the trade deadline.
Hopkins finished the regular season with 41 catches for 437 yards and four touchdowns, a modest stat line by his standards. His leadership and playoff experience have proven invaluable to a young wide receiver group hoping to make a deep postseason run.
When asked how it felt to see a young player like rookie Xavier Worthy lean on him for guidance, Hopkins reflected on his early days in the league.
“He definitely reminded me of myself,” Hopkins said, referring to rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy. “When I was young, around Andre Johnson, just asking questions and absorbing —not just on the field but off the field — how to get my body prepared for big games. It’s been fun helping these guys.”
According to Hopkins, preparation takes on a different tone in the postseason.
“The level of detail is just a little bit higher,” Hopkins noted when asked how the playoffs differ from the regular season. “Things you do throughout the week — preparing your body for that game — you want to be your best.”
Hopkins asked about how the younger players would adjust to the speed of the playoff game and offered some advice for the rookies.
“When people talk about the speed of the game, it’s more so about being where you need to be — the level of detail and not making mistakes,” Hopkins explained.
His message to Worthy and other first-timers was simple: “Just go out there and play your game. Don’t overthink or listen to the outside noise.”
Facing his former team in a playoff setting naturally raised questions about the last time Hopkins was on the Arrowhead field in January 2019, when the Texans held a 24-0 lead before the Chiefs roared back to win 51-31. When asked if he could draw anything from that game, Hopkins waved off the notion.
“I definitely live in the present,” he said before recalling one specific moment. “What I remember is just being up 24. I think the fake punt kind of shifted the momentum of that game. After that, everything else is kind of going its way.”
As the questions shifted to his personal motivation, Hopkins clarified why he came to Kansas City.
“I’m very excited. That’s the reason I wanted to be here,” he said. “I think that’s part of the reason that Veach [Brett Veach] brought me here — for games like this.”
Hopkins closed his comments with a confident statement of purpose.
“To go out and play my game and do what I can to uplift everyone else.”
This Saturday, Hopkins will face the Texans, a team he gave so much to during his early years in the league. But as he prepares to take the field, Hopkins is fully focused on the present, ready to help his new team chase postseason glory.