Will DeAndre Hopkins fit with Chiefs? Former teammate says yes -- with a story to tell.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid is asked about receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the locker room, and the first memory he recalls actually goes back to 2018 in Kansas City.

“You don’t pick the moments that you always remember,” Reid said with a smile.

This was Reid’s first game as an NFL rookie — a preseason game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium — when Hopkins and Reid were teammates with the Houston Texans. At one point, Hopkins went over to the then-21-year-old rookie on the sidelines.

Hopkins wanted to talk ball. He motioned to an alignment on the field — three receivers on one side, the tight end flexed to the other — then began to share some wisdom.

“Any time you see this formation,” Reid remembers Hopkins saying, “that tight end is always running the slant ball.”

The funny part about that recollection, according to Reid?

“Throughout my entire career, every time I’ve seen that formation,” Reid said, “it has always been the same play.”

The Chiefs reportedly traded for Hopkins on Wednesday, sending a conditional fourth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans in a move aimed to help bolster a thin position on the offense.

Talk to Reid, though, and he believes the Chiefs are getting much more than a football talent when adding the 32-year-old Hopkins.

“He knows ball. He has a master’s degree in playing football,” Reid told The Kansas City Star on Wednesday. “And he knows how to read coverages. He knows route combinations. He was a really special player when we played together.”

Reid said it didn’t take long to appreciate Hopkins’ wisdom — even as a rookie.

During his first NFL game on Sept. 9, 2018, Reid was playing against the New England Patriots when he saw the exact setup that Hopkins had described a few weeks earlier.

Reid, matched up in man coverage against future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski, said Hopkins’ words convinced him that Gronkowski was about to take an in-breaking path. He broke quickly on the football, beating Gronkowski to the spot for a pass breakup on third-and-4.

It could have been even more. Reid said he wanted to play things conservatively in his first NFL game, so he was most concerned with getting his hand in for a pass breakup.

“Actually hit me damn near in the middle of my forearm,” Reid said with a laugh. “It would’ve been an easy pick.”

Reid and Hopkins played together with the Texans from 2018-19, and while they didn’t go against each other often in practice, Reid remembered him being a tough assignment.

“Just a very physical player — super physical. Loves the contact,” Reid said. “Contested catches, that’s his comfort zone.”

Reid also believes Hopkins will “be good for the entire wide receiver room to help them develop.” The Chiefs are mostly left with young wideouts after recent injuries; healthy options on the 53-man roster include Xavier Worthy (age 21), Skyy Moore (24), Mecole Hardman (26) and Justin Watson (28).

“He’s a veteran. He’s a reliable player,” Reid said of Hopkins. “I think that he can help coach those guys in some of the things that he knows through his experience, and just help build a room.”

In the final season of a two-year contract, Hopkins’ impact with the Titans has been limited while battling injuries. In six games (and three starts), he had 15 catches for 173 yards with one receiving touchdown.

Reid, who texted Hopkins Wednesday morning to welcome him to the Chiefs, knows from experience that these Chiefs should benefit from having the veteran receiver around.

“Approachable, easy to talk to,” Reid said. “(If) you want to ask him any questions about ball, always willing to help.”