Instant Connection: Nagy Hails Chiefs’ Dynamic Duo

The Kansas City Chiefs made a move before the trade deadline that shook up the AFC. As if they needed anything else to show they were the best, because being the only undefeated team in the league is enough, they went and got Patrick Mahomes another weapon.

The Chiefs traded with the Tennessee Titans for DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best receivers over the last decade. The Chiefs have a good receiver room without Hopkins, in Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and others. But, most of those players are hurt. In fact, all of them but Worthy are hurt, and with a three-peat on the line, how could General Manager Brett Veach not make a big-time move?

So far, through a few games, we are already seeing this trade pay off big time. The Chiefs are still undefeated, and their offense looks much better. Not only that, but Mahomes has someone reliable to throw the ball to, and man, they are on point with each other. You usually don’t see that with two dudes who have really only known one another for a few weeks, but these two are different.

“There has been an instant synergy with Pat and DeAndre and sometimes those take a lot more for some guys than others, but he’s come in here and has just picked it up,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. “And when I say that, I don’t use the term lightly, but Pat and DHop are really thinking the same way on certain routes, especially in the zone, which is crazy, because it doesn’t normally always happen like that.

“It normally takes time. But from the first practice to our last game, there’s some stuff in there that they’re putting on tape that makes it tough, especially when you put Kelce on the same side, or the other side that, thinks the same way. As long as he and Pat have been doing it, that’s tough, and then you get the run game going, and these guys are seeing it. And so it’s really neat to see when guys are thinking like Pat and for DHop, he’s been doing it a long time, and it’s been instant with him.”

Hopkins has the 23rd-highest career receiving yardage in NFL history, so it’s fair to say he is an all-time great already. You pair that with Patrick Mahomes, possibly the greatest player of all time, and it’s bound to be a match made in heaven regardless of who the other player is. The fact that they have already established such a strong chemistry means two things:

One, they are working relentlessly behind the scenes, whether it be in practice, in the film room, etc. They are working, and that’s what greats do. Two, the league should really be scared. When all of their receivers are healthy, if that happens, or even just if Hollywood Brown comes back along with Smith-Schuster, it’s going to be very scary.

The Chiefs are back on the offensive side of the ball, and the more chemistry they build, the better it should get. The Chiefs play the Denver Broncos on Sunday, and then the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and the Las Vegas Raiders again. So, Hopkins will see some decent defenses and secondaries over the next few weeks.