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

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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