Houston Texans will miss Tyrann Mathieu's performance, leadership

We recently spoke with Houston Texans expert Stephen Forsha from our sister site, Toro Times, to tell us more about Tyrann Mathieu.

The Kansas City Chiefs have added an exciting new addition on defense with the signing of versatile defensive back Tyrann Mathieu to a three-year deal. For the Chiefs, it begins the reinvention of the defense under Steve Spagnuolo and the healing of an ailing secondary that needs significant work.

We were curious, however, about the Texans perspective on the deal. They were reportedly bidding against the Chiefs down to the wire. What did they love most about Mathieu? What will they miss? What about Mathieu as a man off the field?

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We recently asked Stephen Forsha from our sister site Toro Times to tell us a bit more about the Chiefs newest import.

Tyrann came to the Texans on a prove-it deal. Why was that and how did he answer those concerns in your mind?

It seemed that last offseason Tyrann Mathieu didn’t get the respect he deserved in the free agent market and, at least for the 2018 season, he was a perfect fit for the Texans’ defense. Mathieu wasn’t re-signed by his long term team, the Arizona Cardinals in ’18, and the Texans were the ones who gave him his “prove it” one-year deal. The Cardinals wanted him to take a pay cut, and the Texans swooped in and signed him. Mathieu did more than prove he still has it to be a huge contributor for an NFL defense.

What were Mathieu’s biggest strengths on the field for the Texans?

Besides his overall play, he helped make the Texans defense strong again. Mathieu was also a bit of a mentor on defense, too, as the Texans had safety Justin Reid who could benefit from learning from the veteran Mathieu. Plus having a player like Mathieu on the field forced the opposition to put a little more of their focus on him, leading to less focus being paid elsewhere.

The Texans reportedly wanted him back. What kept them from bidding as high as K.C.?

Houston isn’t knowing for being huge spenders during free agency, and it was reported the Texans offered Mathieu $11 million per year and the Chiefs offered $14 million per year. Mathieu had his prove it season last year and now he was paid accordingly by his new team. Salary cap issues weren’t an issue for the Texans because they are in the Top 5 in cap space available. Maybe the Texans will look elsewhere for a safety in free agency.

Would you have any concerns about signing Mathieu to a deal like the Chiefs beyond just the money involved?

If I were the Texans, I would have matched the offer by Kansas City because having a veteran like Mathieu in the secondary was huge for this franchise. It seems the Texans are tearing down their secondary, as they also didn’t re-sign Kareem Jackson at cornerback. The Chiefs made the correct deal for three years as Mathieu is still only 26-years-old and still in the prime of his career.

Any word on the sort of person Mathieu is in the locker room and/or community?

From all that I read, Mathieu is an excellent teammate and player in the locker room, and the Chiefs have signed themselves a top-notch person and safety. Mathieu does a lot of charity work and speaks to young people, so the Chiefs got themselves someone they should be happy with for the next three years.

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Houston Texans will miss Tyrann Mathieu’s performance, leadership

By Matt Conner | Mar 13, 2019