Chiefs Roster: DeAndre Hopkins ready to play against Texans in divisional round

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins took the podium with a focused demeanor, ready to tackle the high-stakes game this Saturday against his former team, Houston Texas.

For Hopkins, this game isn’t just about another playoff appearance — it’s an opportunity to validate his impact on a Chiefs team that traded a fifth-round pick to acquire him from 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.

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 freshman wide receiver Xavier Worthy. “When I was young, around Andre Johnson, I was just asking questions and absorbing — not just on the field but off the field — how to prepare my body for big games. It’s been fun helping these guys.”

According to Hopkins, preparations take 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 during the week — prepare your body for that game — you want to be your best.”

Hopkins asked how the younger players would adjust to the speed of the playoffs and offered some advice for the rookies.

“When people talk about the speed of the game, it’s more about being where you need to be – the level of detail and not making mistakes,” Hopkins explained.

His message to Worthy and other rookies 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 at Arrowhead Field in January 2019, when 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 idea.

“I definitely live in the moment,” he said, before recalling a specific moment. “What I remember is just being up 24. I think that fake punt kind of changed the momentum of that game. After that, everything else goes its way.”

As the questions shifted to his personal motivation, Hopkins clarified why he came to Kansas City.

“I’m very excited. That’s why I wanted to be here,” he said. “I think that’s part of the reason Veach (Brett Veach) brought me here — for games like this. ”

Hopkins concluded his comments with a confident statement of purpose.

“Going out and playing my game and doing what I can to lift everybody else up.”

This Saturday, Hopkins will face the Texans, a team he gave so much to in 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.