3.) Tyrann Mathieu
Its early, but the Chiefs do not win Super Bowl LIV without the signing of free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu.
The Honey Badger spent the first five years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals. He then spent one season with the Houston Texans before he signed a three-year contract with the Chiefs.
The self-proclaimed Landlord had a strong enough season that multiple outlets had him in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. However, his play on the field would not be enough alone to include him on this list after only one season.
What puts him firmly on this list is the way he led a defensive transformation for Kansas City that brought about the team’s first Super Bowl victory in 50 years. He stepped in and replaced the massive hole in the Chiefs’ defensive backfield, an obvious need ever since Berry was dominant back in ’16.
Mathieu will be in line for an extension during the 2021 offseason, with one year remaining on his deal in K.C. at that time. Some fans likely will experience a bit of trepidation about investing huge money in a star safety again (e.g. Berry), but most will see clearly enough that keeping Mathieu is imperative for the success of the Chiefs defense.