Tag: Mike Hughes

Chiefs players dedicate win over Raiders to CB L’Jarius Sneed

“That felt good to get that W for him.” #Chiefs dedicate Week 14 win to CB L’Jarius Sneed as he deals with death of his oldest brother.

Kansas City Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed didn’t play in the Week 14 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he played a big part in their triumphant victory.

Sneed was ruled out of the game as he went home to Minden, Louisiana to bury his oldest brother, T’Qarontarion “TQ” Harrison, who was slain in a stabbing incident over the weekend. Speaking to the media after the game, Chiefs HC Andy Reid led off speaking about the tragic situation and how the team supported the Sneed family in this difficult time.

“L’Jarius Sneed, I just want to address that up front here,” Reid began. “Our hearts go out to him. Great kid, great player. Just his family, they were all visiting (Kansas City) at this time. You know it’s a tough deal, but our organization stepped up and got everybody back where they needed to be to go through the grieving process and that locker room is grieving with them.”

In postgame comments, each of Sneed’s teammates explained the part he played in their victory on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes led off, speaking about the brotherhood in the locker room.

“It’s such a tragic situation for him,” Mahomes said. “As a brotherhood, as an organization and as a team, we’re going to go support our brothers. I thought guys played hard for him today. We got the win and I’m just praying for him and his family. It’s a tough deal and we want him to be in a good spot as a person before anything on the football field.”

Mike Hughes, who had one of the most productive games of his career in Week 14, explained that the pregame message in the locker room was to go out and play for Sneed. He felt they accomplished that mission with the win.

“He was on everybody’s mind,” Hughes said. “Before the game, we said that we were going to play for him. You know, we always just, we’ve got our brother’s back no matter what’s going on. I think he’s dealing with a tough situation right now, I won’t get into it, that’s his business. But we wanted to play for him today and we went out there and did that. That felt good to get that W for him.”

Defensive leader Tyrann Mathieu has spoken with Sneed a few times since he’s been away from the team. He felt that the team embodied Sneed and his energy today, which was a big reason for their dominant 48-9 win against the Raiders.

“He’s on our mind a lot,” Mathieu said. “You know, obviously, when somebody loses somebody that close to them, I feel like most of can relate to that— losing people. I just wanted to play for him today, his family. I feel like we did that. I feel like we started the game with some ‘L’Jarius energy’ and so we kind of kept it going throughout the game.”

Mathieu and fellow S Juan Thornhill took to Twitter shortly after the game to emphasize that this win for Sneed and his family.

The offense and defense certainly kept the “L’Jarius energy” going through the final whistle, and they’ll continue to keep it going and lift up their teammate for as long as necessary while he deals with the loss of his brother.

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Mike Hughes to be Chiefs’ No. 1 punt returner moving forward

In an effort to get the punt return game going, #Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub says Mike Hughes will start over Mecole Hardman moving forward.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are fresh off the bye week and after some holiday introspection, they’re due to make a few changes for the stretch run.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since the win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11, Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub explained his process during the bye week. He’s been looking hard for any proclivity on his part, but he also intends to find any sort of edge he can to get things trending in a positive direction.

“You go back and do a lot of self-scouting,” Toub said. “You want to see what other teams are looking at. Do you have any tendencies? Are you doing anything 100% of the time? That’s where you have to be careful, if you do it every time, then you’re susceptible to a fake or some kind of trick play or something. You look at — are you successful in what you’re doing? You look at the return game and are you getting what you want as far as numbers and are the guys blocking the way you like? You spend a lot of time doing that. We did that early and then we jumped ahead and started looking at Denver too as well. We feel like we got a good jump on them this week.”

Ahead of the bye week, Toub did make one change and it looks like that change will stick. For the first time since being drafted in 2019, Mecole Hardman didn’t play any snaps on special teams. Instead, the Chiefs opted to give Mike Hughes all the punt returns during the game. According to Toub, this was an effort to jumpstart a punt return game that has been rather dormant this season.

“We’re trying to get a spark,” Toub said. “We’re not giving up on Mecole (Hardman) by any means. He is, obviously, probably the most dynamic guy we have. But just a little bit (of time) to maybe sit back and watch a little bit, watch from the sideline, maybe that will help your confidence.

“We’re happy with (Mike Hughes). Mike does a great job, he’s a good catcher, he makes good decisions. We just want to get part of that game going. You try different things like that.”

Hughes has only returned three punts on the season averaging 18.3 yards per return. Hardman has returned eight punts this season averaging 10.3 yards per return. While the Chiefs still have Hardman available to return punts, it’s Hughes’ job to lose at this point. According to Toub, Hughes will be ‘the guy’ at the punt returner position moving forward.

“Right now, yeah,” Toub said. “That’s what we’re going to go with. We always know we’ve got Mecole (Hardman). We know we’ve got Tyreek (Hill). There’s a lot worse situations in the NFL than we have right now. We have guys we can use.”

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Mike Hughes talks game-sealing interception, big performance in first game with Chiefs

#Chiefs CB Mike Hughes was excited to be able to show his talents with his game-sealing interception vs. the #Browns. | from @TheJohnDillon

One of the Kansas City Chiefs’ most underrated offseason acquisitions, cornerback Mike Hughes made a major statement in his first game for his new team. After playing solid coverage against an underrated Browns receiving corps, Hughes made the decisive play of the home opener when he intercepted Baker Mayfield late in the fourth quarter to put the Week 1 win on ice.

Speaking to reporters after the matchup, Hughes seemed grateful for the fresh start he’s found in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. He feels right at home in his first season with Kansas City, and he’s quite enjoyed playing in front of the Chiefs’ faithful.

“Honestly bro, I’m past that,” Hughes said of the usual adjustment period in joining a new team. “I’m here. I’m a part of Chiefs Kingdom now, but that’s all I’m focused on. It felt good to get out here in front of our home crowd and be able to make a play in front of everybody to show everybody what I can do on the field. It felt great, man.”

Hughes’ big play late in the game was a remarkable storyline coming out of the hard-fought scrap against Cleveland. He recounted the experience of dashing the Browns’ hopes of a comeback on their final drive. He took some of the credit but deflected most of it to the other players on the field for the play that gave Kansas City their first win of 2021.

“We knew it was going to come down to getting a stop on defense,” Hughes explained. “I’ve got to give credit to the other 10 guys that did their job, flushed him out of the pocket, he made a bad decision and we just capitalized off it. So, it’s not all about me. I made a great catch, a great play. I’ve always got to give credit to those guys as well, especially the offense keeping us in the game because they kept scoring and it was those couple stops that got us back in it. The offense helped our momentum and when the opportunity presented itself, I made a play.”

The offensive momentum he referenced was the spectacular 75-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill that totally shifted the outcome of the game. Asked about how that play affected the defense’s ability to get stops against Cleveland’s dynamic offense, Hughes said it was absolutely crucial in lifting the unit’s spirits after struggling early.

“It was huge man,” He said of the big play. “It was a big momentum shift late in the game. We needed that, especially on the defensive side. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of corrections to make, it wasn’t the perfect game, but it took all three phases, offense, defense, special teams. We’re just blessed to come out on top. It’s week one. It’s hard to get wins in the NFL and you’ve just got to take it week by week. Appreciate the opportunity and we see the opportunity.”

Hughes’ opportunities in Kansas City seem to have come at exactly the right time both for him and the Chiefs as a whole. The departure of Bashaud Breeland in the offseason opened a gaping hole in the team’s secondary and necessitated a change of the guard at one of the NFL’s most difficult positions. With a great showing early, Hughes looks primed for an exceptional season, especially with his commitment to improving after Week 1.

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Chiefs CB Mike Hughes grateful to catch on with Kansas City for 2021

After some early-career struggles, #Chiefs CB Mike Hughes is grateful to have caught on in Kansas City. | from @TheJohnDillon

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A whirlwind offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs has culminated in one of their strongest rosters in years. Despite two Super Bowl berths in consecutive seasons, the team found ways to improve on both sides of the ball for 2021, and have somehow managed to put themselves in an even better position to chase another championship.

Though the offensive line and linebacker positions were the primary focus for Brett Veach in revamping the roster, the addition of cornerback Mike Hughes flew under the radar through training camp. Hughes was a former first-round pick, selected 30th overall by Minnesota in 2018, but failed to reach his full potential playing for the Vikings. Far from a household name when he was traded to Kansas City for a sixth-round pick in May, Hughes is now in contention for a major role on the Chiefs defense and special teams units this season.

Speaking to reporters after the team cut down to 53 players on Tuesday, Hughes was elated to have made the final roster, but made it clear that his work is far from over.

“You just have to control what you can control,” Hughes said of the cut process. “Just try to come in every day and do your job to the best of your ability, try to go out there and compete. Like I said, just treat every day like you can be gone tomorrow. That’s the approach that I took, and I know we had a very close group during training camp as a DB group. We tried to help out one another, but at the end of the day, you can control what you can control. That’s to go out there and do your job and have the coaches make those tough decisions.”

Hughes made an exceptional impression as a punt and kick returner in the preseason, nearly scoring against his former team last week on a huge punt return that was called back for a penalty. He told reporters that playing against the team that traded him in the offseason was a unique experience, but seemed happy to have gotten a win off his old teammates.

“It was bittersweet,” Hughes said of playing the Vikings. “But I don’t have a grudge against those guys. It’s all love. I talked to some of the players pregame and postgame. They were all happy for me, so it was a good feeling. Good to see those guys and just having fun competing against those guys too.”

The Chiefs have found themselves with exceptional depth in the defensive secondary in 2021. As the team prepares for week one action against the Browns, Hughes sees a lot of potential in his unit. He elaborated on the grind-it-out mentality of the group, but he stopped short of giving his teammates any undue credit.

“We work so hard over here, man,” Hughes told the media, “Competing against those guys on offense, they’re going to give you the best look that they can. It’s a blessing, just going against some of the best receivers in the league every day, it makes the game so much easier. Coach puts a big emphasis on working hard so that’s really what we do at practice. We work, we work and once it becomes game week, it’s that much easier. Just come in every day with the right mindset and we’re all going to rally behind each other. That’s the most important thing about that group. The camaraderie is great, we’re all going to help one another. Try to get the big job done and you know what that is.”

The pursuit of another championship will truly be a team effort this season, and with Hughes in the mix defending the pass, Kansas City is in good hands defensively. A big season from the buy-low cornerback could put the Chiefs’ defense over the top this season when combined with the flash of the linebacker corps, a revitalized pass rush and savvy play by other more established players in Kansas City’s secondary.

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Dave Toub praises Chiefs’ Jody Fortson, Mike Hughes ahead of roster cuts

Dave Toub told reporters that Mike Hughes and Jody Fortson have a chance to make a big impact for the #Chiefs on special teams this season. | from @TheJohnDillon

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It seems that every year special teams coach Dave Toub has a new surprise for fans after a summer off to improve the punting and kicking games for the Kansas City Chiefs. From the emergence of D.J. Alexander in 2016 as a Pro Bowl gunner to the kick return prowess of Byron Pringle being unleashed in 2020. The new season is sure to hold something special for the special teams unit in pursuit of another Super Bowl.

Andy Reid has always placed a huge emphasis on winning on special teams. Rarely in the modern pass-happy NFL does a game come down to a punt inside the 20 or field position on a kickoff, but with expectations at an all-time high, Kansas City will seek any edge it can find.

After Chiefs practice on Tuesday, Toub spoke to the media about his unit of specialists and provided key insights into his perspective on the roster ahead of the team’s final cutdowns. Toub has had tremendous influence over tough decisions in assembling the best 53 players in the past, with this year likely headed in the same direction. Speaking about players that might need a big performance to make the cut on special teams, Toub told the media that nobody’s job is safe.

“I think everybody needs to have a good showing,” Toub said, “There are guys that you might think are easy ins right now and they’re still fighting. It’s not over. That’s the thing that I tell them. I say, ‘the decision is not made until this last game is done and we get down to 53.’ They got to keep fighting, everybody. There are lots of positions that are still open right now. Special teams will have something to do with it, but offense and defense mostly.”

The versatility to play capably on either side of the ball but also on special teams can put younger players over the top for the coaching staff, making them very difficult to cut given their use in multiple phases. Players like receiver Marcus Kemp and defensive back Dicaprio Bootle could find their way onto the final roster with solid performances at their primary positions, potentially doubling as gunners on Toub’s crew.

One surprise of the preseason has been the utilization of new cornerback Mike Hughes as a punt and kick returner, a secondary role Toub sees huge upside for him in.

 “Mike is a very, very good catcher,” Toub told reporters of the former first-round pick. “He’s a talented returner. He gets up the field north and south, he looks for that north and south right away whereas he could probably press the edges a little bit more. He’s talented and we like what we see in him going forward.”

His quote on Hughes was particularly interesting given comments made about Demarcus Robinson later in the press conference. Robinson, a mainstay of the Chiefs’ special teams since being drafted by Kansas City in 2016, has found his role change from gunner to returner. Hughes appears to have usurped his role as a returner in this preseason. Upstart second-year tight end Jody Fortson, a converted receiver, is competing alongside the aforementioned Kemp to displace him elsewhere on the roster.

Toub was complimentary of Fortson too and seemed to think he was on his way to securing a roster spot.

“Jody (Fortson) is setting himself up well,” Toub told reporters. “No surprises, but I was just happy to see Jody with as hard as he worked in the offseason to be able to show it on the field as a hold-up guy, blocker and cover guy, physical. It’s good to see.”

For Toub, Kansas City’s overall roster depth presents him with a complex puzzle to solve before September in finding the absolute best players under contract to help win the Chiefs games this season. His last chance to evaluate the talent before decisions have to be made will be on Friday against the Vikings, and if history is any indication, his perspective on this game could have huge implications for the team’s roster moving forward.

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Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub discusses state of special teams unit

After the first win of the new season, #Chiefs’ special teams coordinator Dave Toub discusses where his unit is headed in 2021. | from @TheJohnDillon

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Though it won’t count for much at the end of the season, the Kansas City Chiefs’ win against the 49ers in the first game of their preseason schedule seems to have set the tone for the team moving forward. After returning 21 of 22 starters last year, Kansas City has a plethora of new talent all over the roster after loading up in the offseason following their loss in the Super Bowl.

Motivated as ever to secure another championship, this Chiefs squad seems to have a different mentality than in previous seasons. With expectations of winning on the biggest stage as they did in 2020, there is an aura of confidence and swagger about Kansas City headed into this year’s schedule.

The edge that Patrick Mahomes gives the team is obvious, but it’s their all-around well-balanced and carefully constructed roster, top to bottom, that makes them a Super Bowl threat. On special teams especially, the Chiefs have a well-oiled machine where up-and-coming players can make a name for themselves before contributing on offense or defense.

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub is perennially regarded as a potential head coach candidate for teams seeking a rebuild. That’s because Toub has made the Chiefs’ punt and kick squads a huge asset to the team, and given Kansas City a consistent edge against less well-rounded opponents.

In a press conference after practice on Tuesday, Toub shared his thoughts on the Chiefs’ special teams unit after the team’s preseason win against the 49ers. Speaking first of his second-year punter Tommy Townsend, Toub told reporters he was impressed with what he saw on Saturday.

“You can’t watch that game without noticing Tommy Townsend,” Toub said.  “He was outstanding for us. You saw him have those kind of days in practice where he bombs the ball, but we’ve just never seen him transfer it to a game like he did. It was really good to see. He had seven punts and he was really bombing the ball and placing it where we needed it especially the one that went out on the one-yard line. That was amazing.”

While Townsend’s job is secure, other players, especially those on the fringe of the Chiefs’ depth chart, are hoping to impress Toub in a secondary role on special teams to make the final 53-man roster. His input could make or break the dreams of any number of players on the team, and Toub made it clear that cutting down the roster during the preseason process is no easy feat.

“You know, it’s hard,” Toub explained about roster cuts. “Sometimes you lose guys that you want to keep, but you go in, you make your arguments for guys and they have to be solid offensive or defensive players first obviously. Then it’s our job to turn those guys down the line into really good special teams players and that’s the way it works. We don’t keep a lot of players just because they play special teams. That’s not what’s really happening here. They got to play offense and defense first and then we turn them into better players.”

With such a sterling track record of player development, Toub has already made an obvious impact on the current Chiefs roster. Guys like Marcus Kemp, Dorian O’Daniel, and Ben Niemann have all been involved in the special teams game in previous years, and look like locks to make the team again this season.

One surprising addition to Toub’s crew in Saturday’s game was cornerback Mike Hughes, a former first-round pick by way of Minnesota that Kansas City traded for this offseason to shore up the secondary. In his new role as a kick returner, Hughes seems to have impressed Toub, who made a point to comment on his performance to the media.

“He did a nice job,” Toub told reporters. “We put him in there as punt returner and kick returner. The kick return he really hit it, did a nice job. I told our guys to come out no matter where the ball was kicked, that’s why he came out eight deep. Everybody got under a block, they did a good job blocking. We were one block away from scoring on that play, but he really hit it. It was encouraging to see him do that and we knew he had return ability and it was good to see it in a game.”

The Chiefs’ trip to Arizona this weekend will give Toub another opportunity to assess the talent at his disposal. With rugged competition all over Kansas City’s roster, his experimentation with different players in new situations on punts, kicks, and returns could culminate in a few personnel decisions that might surprise some fans. There is a premium on versatility for this team that has become something of an identity. If Toub can get even a little extra out of anyone on the Chiefs’ roster, it could give them the edge they need to win another title.

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Mike Hughes adjusting to Chiefs’ defensive system after trade from Vikings

After several training camp practices, #Chiefs CB Mike Hughes is beginning to settle in with his new team.

One of the Kansas City Chiefs’ trades this offseason had been a long time in the making.

The Chiefs acquired CB Mike Hughes from the Vikings in mid-May. The former 2018 first-round draft pick out of the University of Central Florida is a player that Kansas City had shown heavy interest in ahead of the draft. They spent a lot of time with him at the UCF pro day. He was also among the players the team brought in for a top-30 visit.

The team remained interested in Hughes and when the opportunity arose, they made a trade to bring him to the team.

“When the trade went down a lot of the coaches were saying they wanted me out of the draft,” Hughes told reporters on Saturday. “But obviously, the draft is kind of a crazy process. I pretty much talked to every team, it’s hard to go back and say specifics. But I’m just glad to be here, everybody is happy that I’m here and I feel the same way.”

Hughes had anticipated a trade given how his early tenure in Minnesota had gone. Injuries plagued his career with the Vikings, causing him to appear in just 24 games in the past three seasons. He played six games as a rookie due to a torn ACL. In Week 17 of 2019, he suffered a neck injury that lingered into the 2020 season, causing him to play just four games that year.

“I was out in LA, that’s where I train at, during the offseason,” Hughes said. “My agent gave me the call. We already kind of knew that a trade was going to go down, but I didn’t know where. So when I found out it was (Kansas City) obviously I was excited. You know, they’re a Super Bowl contending team. I couldn’t land in a better spot.”

Now healthy, Hughes is hoping to turn the page on that part of his career and start anew in Kansas City.

“I’m completely 100%, I’ve never felt better,” Hughes said. “I’m just taking it one day at a time and coming every day to work. That’s all that matters to me.”

As he prepares for the upcoming season, Hughes has been working into the starting cornerback rotation at training camp. When the team has been in sub-packages with five or six defensive backs, he’s split repetitions with DeAndre Baker at the right cornerback spot.

“Whatever the coaches want me to do, man, that’s what I’ll do,” Hughes said. “I’ve been playing straight outside so far. Obviously, with the Vikings, I was playing nickel and corner. Here I’ve just been playing outside, still trying to get adjusted to the system. But I’m doing everything that the coaches have asked me to do. With my skill set, I feel like I can play anywhere, but I’ve just been taking it one day at a time, man.”

Hughes does have the versatility to do more, but for now, the Chiefs have him learning one spot as he adjusts to Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive scheme. One thing that the new cornerback enjoys about Kansas City is the amount of press-man that they run.

“Playing press-man, we do a lot of that,” Hughes said. “I’ve been working on my technique every day, kind of knocking the rust off. I was on IR most of last year. It’s been pretty good, man. Just getting out here getting in front of guys and competing.”

The fourth-year professional feels like he’s getting more comfortable as the days go on. One thing that he feels is making him better each and every day is going up against QB Patrick Mahomes in practice.

“It’s special honestly,” Hughes said with a grin on his face. “Some of the throws he can make, it just gets us better. Going out there and competing and doing the best that we can do. I know that he’s getting us better at the end of the day and we’re making him better at the end of the day. That’s all that matters.” 

Things may have not started off the way that Hughes had hoped for in his NFL career, but he’s hoping to be able to let that motivate him to take full advantage of his new opportunity.

“I’m just trying to turn everything into a positive,” Hughes said. “And I’m glad to be here. I’m blessed.”

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Tyrann Mathieu provides first impression of Chiefs’ trade acquisition Mike Hughes

Mathieu has seen improvement in Hughes’ mastery of the defense from OTAs through the end of mandatory minicamp.

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The Kansas City Chiefs made a move to reinforce their cornerback depth in mid-May, trading to acquire Minnesota Vikings CB Mike Hughes.

The former first-round draft pick received a ton of pre-draft interest from Kansas City back in 2018. The team paid special attention to him at the UCF pro day and they brought him in for a top-30 visit. The Vikings, of course, selected Hughes before the Chiefs could in the 2018 NFL draft. But now Kansas City finally gets a chance to see what Hughes can do in their system.

Hughes has only spent 13 or so practices with the Chiefs since being acquired in trade, but so far he’s learning quickly. In that short time, he’s even been able to make an impression on one of the defensive leaders in Kansas City.

“He’s coming along,” Tyrann Mathieu said of Hughes on Thursday, June 17. “He’s coming along really good. You know when he first got here, obviously, it’s a kind of complex system. Especially for the defensive backs. It’s a lot of reads, a lot of pattern readings, a lot of communication that takes place. But I thought that these last couple of practices that he’s had, he’s really shown why he was a first-round draft pick.”

It’s good to know that Hughes is showing signs of improvement, having only been with the team for a few weeks. The 24-year-old corner has struggled so far during his NFL career, mainly due to injuries. An ACL injury ended his rookie season early and a neck injury caused him to miss most of the 2020 NFL season. The hope is that he’ll get a fresh start with the Chiefs.

Mathieu knows how important it is to build young players up, especially following injuries. He knows that the faith and confidence that he shows can help take Hughes’ skill set to the next level.

“I think it’s important for us to continue to kind of build him up, even myself,” Mathieu said. “How can I give him the confidence that he needs to go forward? So it’s all about continuing to encourage him and continuing to uplift him. Obviously, there’s some sort of accountability and responsibility that has to take place and that comes from a leader in the room. But I like what I’m seeing from (Mike Hughes). You can tell he’s quick, he’s short-twitched, he can make plays on the ball. He’s got tremendous athletic ability, he’s got great ball skills.”

Mathieu seems to feel that Hughes is a good fit for the defensive scheme in Kansas City. He even expects that Hughes will be a contributor on the defensive side of the ball at some point during the season.

“I think in this defense if you can tackle and play the ball well, you can play for Spags (Steve Spagnuolo),” Mathieu concluded. “I’m looking forward to seeing what he does in camp, but I’m going to be that guy that’s going to continue to encourage him and motivate him because I know we’re going to need him.”

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CB Bashaud Breeland visits with Vikings

After the Mike Hughes trade, the Minnesota Vikings could use some more cornerback depth, like CB Bashaud Breeland.

The Minnesota Vikings may need more cornerback depth after trading Mike Hughes to the Kansas City Chiefs.

A former Chiefs corner might be a good option for them in 2021. Per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, Bashaud Breeland took a visit with the Vikings at their training facility on Thursday.

Breeland earned a PFF grade of 67.7 this past season. He had 9 passes defended and two interceptions. Breeland has also remained healthy when playing for Kansas City, starting 26-of-27 games in his last two seasons for the team.

I think Breeland would be a fine addition to a Vikings cornerback room that is already solidified at the starting positions. He might be a good option as the first guy off the bench. Cameron Dantzler dealt with injuries in his rookie season. If Dantzler, Patrick Peterson or Mackensie Alexander suffered an injury, the cornerback group gets a lot worse. Breeland would help with that.

Peter King likes the Mike Hughes trade — for the Chiefs

The Minnesota Vikings traded former first-rounder Mike Hughes to the Kansas City Chiefs. Peter King thinks this is a good trade for the Chiefs.

It’s safe to say Mike Hughes did not work out in Minnesota.

A former first-round pick, Hughes struggled with durability and overall consistency in coverage.

This offseason, Hughes’ long-term future with the team came into doubt, when Minnesota opted not to pick up his fifth-year option. It should be pointed out, though, that accepting the fifth-year option for Hughes would have been very surprising.

The Vikings finally said goodbye to Hughes, shipping him off to the Chiefs for a late-round pick swap. Peter King of Pro Football Talk likes this trade, but not for Minnesota.

“I think I really like the low-cost deal Kansas City GM Brett Veach made for injury-plagued Minnesota cornerback Mike Hughes, King wrote. “The Vikings traded Hughes plus their seventh-round pick in 2022 to KC for a sixth-round pick in 2022. Hughes was the 30th pick overall in 2018, the third cornerback selected. Look at the trade this way, using 2021 draft numbers. The Vikings moved up from the 242nd overall pick (in 2021 draft numbers) to 215th overall. GMs will tell you that, when you get to this point of the draft, the pick you’d have made at 215 will still be available at 242 maybe half the time. So the Chiefs take a one-year flyer on Hughes, and if he’s good, he becomes part of their corner rotation and maybe finds a home. There is no downside. Nice deal for KC.”

I can see how, from the Chiefs’ perspective, this trade could work out. That said, from the Vikings’ vantage, it makes sense that the team would move on from arguably its fifth-best cornerback. Given his injury history, Hughes might not have even made the final roster had he stayed, especially if the Vikings prefer certain more inexperienced players over him.