Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins embracing rare playoff shot - ESPN

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

Suddenly, he was teamed with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, Andy Reid and others and never before felt the weight of expectations that came with it. At age 32, with the realization of his football mortality starting to set in, this situation was exactly what Hopkins wanted.

«They're coming off a championship — two championships — so it feels a lot different than anywhere I've been,'' said Hopkins, who made the playoffs earlier in his career with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals. The farthest either team reached was the divisional round.

»Everything everybody does here, not just in this facility but outside the facility, is detailed, and that's how you win championships," he added. «It means a lot. It takes your game to a different level. It takes your focus, your drive, knowing that you're playing for something.''

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Hopkins isn't the prolific receiver with the Chiefs that he was earlier in his career. In the 10 games since his arrival, Hopkins has 41 catches for 437 yards and four touchdowns.

But he still helped the Chiefs reach a 15-2 record, a ninth-straight AFC West championship and the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed.

»You didn't know what to expect as far as the player on and off the field,'' Mahomes said. «But he gets in the room and he's a leader from Day 1. He's teaching younger guys, he's helping younger guys in the room about stuff that he's