Chiefs honor Tyrann Mathieu, Mecole Hardman with year-end awards

The Kansas City Chiefs named Mecole Hardman as ROY and Tyrann Mathieu as the team’s MVP for the 2019 season that ended with a championship.

It was a season to remember for all of Chiefs Kingdom, but a couple of awards handed out earlier this week will make it especially so for two members of the Kansas City Chiefs roster. On Tuesday night, the Chiefs announced safety Tyrann Mathieu was named Most Valuable Player for the season by winning the Derrick Thomas Award. Meanwhile, wide receiver Mecole Hardman was named Rookie of the Year with the Mack Lee Hill Award.

One of the single biggest stories of the season was the defensive turnaround from the year before. The Chiefs were already on the verge of making the Super Bowl in 2018, but the team decided to completely remake the defense on the fly in a single offseason that meant exporting several well-known players and importing guys like Mathieu and pass rusher Frank Clark. Steve Spagnuolo was hired as the architect for the entire operation.

It took some time, but Mathieu remained a pillar in the middle from day one. By season’s end, he was the ultimate defensive chess piece, a versatile and vocal leader who never backed down from an opponent or challenge—and constantly asked his teammates to do the same. He was rewarded with an All-Pro nod after the season.

As for the team’s rookie vote, Mecole Hardman was the highest drafted player in the 2019 draft class after general manager Brett Veach traded up to get him in the second round. Hardman was a receiver and returner out of Georgia with top-tier speed, and the Chiefs saw first-hand just how much he can stretch the field even with others like Tyreek Hill available on this offense.

Hardman was named to the Pro Bowl in his rookie year as a returner for the AFC, but it’s also important to note he led all receivers with more than 10 catches in yards/catch with an incredible 20.7 yard average. He finished the year with 26 catches for 538 yards and 6 touchdowns.