The Kansas City Chiefs are taking a chance on revitalizing Mike Hughes‘ career. Hughes, a former first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings, was acquired by the Chiefs, CBS Sports NFL senior writer Jonathan Jones confirms. The Chiefs will give the Vikings a 2022 sixth-round pick in exchange for Hughes and a 2022 seventh-round pick, according to multiple reports.
Hughes struggled to find his footing as a starter in Minnesota’s secondary, only playing 24 games in three seasons with seven starts. Hughes suffered a torn ACL in his rookie season, only playing six games in his first year. Hughes experienced two neck injuries since the torn ACL, including one that limited him to just four games last season. Hughes has 80 tackles, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and 13 passes defensed in his first three seasons.
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Only playing four games last season, Hughes was targeted 16 times and allowed 12 completions (75%). Opposing quarterbacks targeting him had a 126.3 passer rating and threw for one touchdown as Hughes failed to record an interception.
Hughes will get a second opportunity in Kansas City as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal. An aggressive, physical cornerback, Hughes fits the philosophy Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes to run. He’ll compete for playing time with projected starter Charvarius Ward and second-team corners Bopete Keyes and Rashad Fenton. There will be an opportunity for Hughes to contribute in the secondary with his new team.
The Vikings couldn’t make it work with Hughes, but the ACL injury played a major role in the failed draft pick. With the signing of Patrick Peterson and Cameron Dantzler starting on the outside with Mackensie Alexander in the mix, it just wasn’t worth the price of keeping Hughes on the roster. With the move, the Vikings were able to clear Hughes’ $1.825 million salary for 2021 but will still have a cap hit of $1.314 million.
