Getty KhaDarel Hodge gestures during a 2020 Browns game.
KhaDarel Hodge may have been disappointed to leave the Cleveland Browns, but his frustration quickly turned to excitement when the Detroit Lions nabbed him on the waiver wire last week.
Hodge comes to Detroit with a great chance to be an immediate contributor, and that’s something the wideout seems to know as he begins his tenure with the team now.
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Hodge recently went on Instagram and showed off a new jersey edit with him wearing the Lions colors. As he simply said, “LFG” while giving Detroit a shoutout. Chris Burke of The Athletic spotted the post. Here’s a look:
New Lions WR KhaDarel Hodge:
Obviously, it’s fun to see the new players get acclimated to their new surroundings, and also neat to see Hodge so fired up to be coming to town. With his patented guitar celebration, it would not be a shock to see Hodge becoming a quick fan-favorite in Detroit, especially if he makes big plays along the way.
KhaDarel Hodge Called ‘Lights-Out’ Preseason Player
Like Detroit’s other addition at wideout via trade Trinity Benson, Hodge has been generating plenty of love for what he can do on the field. This preseason, he put up 63 yards and 2 touchdowns in limited action with the Browns. He has also been a special teams standout for the team.
That work has earned Hodge the title of a lights-out player from those who cover the Browns such as ESPN’s Jake Trotter, who also said that someone would be getting a ballplayer in signing Hodge.
KhaDarel Hodge has been lights out in preseason. If the Browns can’t find a spot for the special teams ace on the 53, somebody else is getting a ballplayer…
Additionally, and perhaps most notably for the Lions, Hodge was called a special teams ace by Trotter. Dan Campbell has spoken about how important it is for his wideouts to have a sound special teams background, so the stars could align here for Hodge to perhaps make an even bigger name for himself in Detroit with this in mind.
Hodge’s Stats and Highlights
Originally out of Prairie View A&M, Hodge has the small-school background that so many wide receivers have maintained through the years en-route to becoming big time targets at the next level. He originally signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2018, and played in 14 regular season games his rookie year, playing a key special teams role when the Rams went to the Super Bowl. After being cut, Hodge went to Cleveland, where he played in all 16 games for the team in 2019. He returned in 2020 and would finish with 180 yards receiving for the team. This season, he was a victim of a deep depth chart at wideout. In total, he has 17 receptions and 273 receiving yards in his short NFL career.
A look at Hodge’s highlights show the type of player who could be ready for more action in Detroit and to take his career to the next step:
Hodge will now get his shot to shine in Detroit where he will be tasked with developing some chemistry with Jared Goff ahead of the 2021 season. Clearly, he’s excited to join the roster and get going, and he does look pretty good wearing the Lions colors, indeed.
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New Lions Wideout Sends Excited Message After Joining Team