The Kansas City Chiefs prioritized signing Hollywood Brown in free agency. When they needed another wide receiver mid-season, they acquired DeAndre Hopkins. Their journeys to Sunday night were marked by hard work and the belief that they would wear a Chiefs uniform.

I remember driving in my car when the news broke that Hollywood Brown had agreed to a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. Once the deal was announced, he left significant money on the table to sign with Kansas City.
The day after he signed his contract with the Chiefs, he flew to Dallas and started his offseason workouts with Patrick Mahomes. During that time, Brown also took Rashee Rice under his wing, guiding him through the offseason chaos surrounding Rice, which attracted national criticism.
Still, Brown viewed the Chiefs as his preferred landing spot, and Kansas City planned to leverage him to bring back the long ball. They shined in training camp, but everything shifted on the first day of the preseason when Brown got injured and was projected to miss the 2024 season.

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It was a devastating blow to the Chiefs’ offense, and suddenly, they had to revise the playbook that Andy Reid designed for Brown after he arrived in Kansas City.
For DeAndre Hopkins, he signed a massive two-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. He had a chance to sign with the Chiefs but received stupid money from the AFC contender.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Titans permitted Hopkins to begin trade talks with other NFL teams. Hopkins doesn’t have an agent; he represented himself, but there was mutual interest among the parties that the Chiefs were the best fit.
So, once Hopkins chose Kansas City, General Manager Brett Veach made the deal, which resulted in a 2025 fifth-round selection.
Beautiful.
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Hopkins journey to Kansas City was one he foresaw, and he let his faith guide him to something he manifested before the trade deadline.
It took him some time to sync up with Patrick Mahomes, but he made a couple of crucial third-down catches during his debut against the Las Vegas Raiders. He found his rhythm in a Monday night matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Kansas City. He caught eight passes, including an impressive 35-yard reception, surrounded by three Buccaneers defenders and scored two touchdowns.
At that moment, the Chiefs’ offense had another dependable option, and from then on, their performance demonstrated greater consistency. His signing also aided rookie Xavier Worthy, who described Hopkins as a father figure and frequently sought his advice for insights.

In December, Brown returned to face the Houston Texans, where he had a remarkable debut. Although his presence in the offensive rotation limited Hopkins’s reps, the veteran receiver was not worried about it.
Neither receiver had a catch in the AFC Divisional round game last week. One might think they’d be upset, but they accepted their roles in the offense because they are team players.
They also reminded themselves that this was the reason they had come to Kansas City: to compete in an AFC Championship game. Despite their talent, neither player had the opportunity.
They have their chance on Sunday against the Bills. With a victory, all the hard work, sacrifices, and determination to become great players and teammates could pay off in New Orleans.