Tyrann Mathieu says it took some time for Super Bowl to sink in

Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu says it took about a month-and-a-half for the reality of winning a Super Bowl to sink in.

It’s a good thing the NFL offseason goes on as long as it does, because Tyrann Mathieu says even the mental part of winning the Super Bowl takes significant time to process and settle in. On the first day of April, Mathieu spent part of his evening being interviewed by Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and explained that it took “about a month-and-a-half” for the Kansas City Chiefs victory to sink in.

It’s easy to understand that, because even as fans, I still pause and smile at times when writing a phrase like “the Chiefs Super Bowl victory.” The epic win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV was filled with the sort of drama that draws us to sports in the first place and it was the final such game after a postseason filled with such comebacks.

When asked by Glazer about how long it took to settle into being a Super Bowl champion, Mathieu went on to explain his answer. “It definitely didn’t hit me early on. Obviously you feel good any time you win a football game, but to be a world champion, a lot goes into that.”

From the outside looking in, the entire Super Bowl week is a whirlwind with thousands of media members from around the world descending on the host site for an endless parade of interviews and festivities. Immediately after winning the game, the post-game theatrics begin and players have cameras and microphones shoved into their faces. Within a couple days, the Chiefs were celebrated back at home with an epic parade.

Basically, the entire run up to the game and the ensuing days after the game fail to offer much time for things like reflection. It’s not surprising to hear Mathieu say he needed some time. Mathieu later said it was the camaraderie and relationships on the team that helped put them over the top.

“I was just really happy that I was able to come in and be with a good group of guys,” Mathieu said to Glazer. “The Chiefs, that locker room, a lot of those guys love to play football and I think they really care about one another. Ultimately that’s how we were able to be champions.”

Mathieu was a huge part of the team’s transformation into a champion, a true vocal leader who backs up his words on the field who brought out the best in the players around him. From Juan Thornhill‘s growth to an elevated cornerback group, Mathieu’s influence was crystal clear by season’s end.

Given that Mathieu has two years left on his contract and that the Chiefs have made considerable efforts to bring back a lot of the players from last season, there’s a very good chance the Chiefs can make another Super Bowl run this next winter. Here’s hoping we’re asking Mathieu the same thing next year about how long it takes a second Super Bowl to sink in.