It’s safe to say that the Kansas City Chiefs are, after a while, finally in a comfortable place regarding the wide receiver position.
Apart from the drafted players, the franchise also added some undrafted ones to the squad.
This is the case of Jaaron Hayek, a Villanova product. After the Draft, the prospect received a call from the organisation inviting him to take part in the rookie minicamp tryout.
The pass-catcher stood out and secured his space in the 90-man squad. He signed his contract with the Chiefs on 07 May. On his X profile, the rookie celebrated the news.
The day before the announcement, he had tweeted about being proud of himself: “No better feeling than proving YOURSELF right!” Hayek stated. Adding: “Thank you Lord! 🙏🏼” said the WR.
The road to KC’s facilities
Even before the Draft took place, Hayek didn’t have a good feeling about it.
On the Arrowhead Addict podcast, the young player said that a few days before the event, he went to New York to visit a company because he was thinking of applying for a ‘finance job’ if he wasn’t called by any team or didn’t receive any calls.
According to him, 30 minutes after the end of the Draft, KC gave him a call asking if he was interested in attending the rookie minicamp.
The 22-year-old just embraced the opportunity – and is now reaping the rewards of the journey.
Hake is 6-foot-1, weighs 200 pounds and defended Villanova for five seasons, between 2019 and 2023. In his collegiate years, he played 48 games: 170 passes received for 2,744 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Hayek can already smell the Chiefs’ winning culture
In the podcast, Hayek was asked about the atmosphere of being in the KC cast and the feeling of experiencing being a Chief.
The receiver said that before joining the team and watching from the outside, he thought it was insane to think that the franchise would be so successful by conquering two Super Bowls in a row and already looking towards a three-peat. However, now inside as a member he understands why they have a “winning tradition”.
The show’s host asked Hayek to elaborate on the answer, because to anyone who isn’t seeing it with their own eyes it seems intangible.
“The way coach (Andy) Reid has control over the entire team. I think, you know, once he steps in the meeting room, everyone obviously stops talking what they’re doing, they’re giving him their full attention. What he has to say is important for what’s to come either that day or the following days. And I think it starts from the top to bottom. So he’s obviously not content with winning a football last year as he went back-to-back.”
“He’s bringing that same mentality again this year, the word Super Bowl doesn’t come out of his mouth, I haven’t heard him, you know, talk to the team about last year yet, obviously, besides visiting the White House today, but I haven’t heard of him be content with where we are.” added.
Veterans are important to understanding the Chiefs’ mentality
Hayek then confirms that Andy Reid is the one who put the team on the level it is now.
He goes on to explain that the presence of the veterans can be confused with that of the rookies.
“Obviously coach Reid to start and then the veterans. It’s funny to say, I mean, how many years some people have played, but if you didn’t, you wouldn’t know if someone was a rookie or someone was in their 10th year”
He explained: “And what I mean by that is everyone goes in with the same mentality of getting better every single day. I don’t think there’s a guy on this roster and this team right now that is just content with where they are in their career and they know every day something can happen, then you can get cut any day.”
Like any rookie, the figure of Patrick Mahomes does not go unnoticed. His aura and leadership attract attention.
“And the way Pat comes to practice every day and wants to get better – you can tell he’s not coming in here saying ‘I just won back-to-back Super Bowls I’m gonna coast through these OTAs’, and in reality he doesn’t even have to be here and he hasn’t missed a day yet. So just the leadership from the older guys and guys who are veterans that are attacking every single day, like they’re trying to make teams though. I think that’s the biggest difference.
