Were the Chiefs smiling for the cameras with Tyrann Mathieu?

For the last several months—really just about a year—safety Tyrann Mathieu and the Kansas City Chiefs have been saying all the right things, the sorts of things you’d expect two sides to say if they were very happy with their relationship.

By all accounts—and there are plenty of press accounts—from team owner Clark Hunt to head coach Andy Reid to general manager Brett Veach and Tyrann’s many (now former) teammates, Mathieu was an exemplary leader, a passionate player, and a franchise fixture. Not only was he a Pro Bowl performer with multiple All-Pro nods in his three years in Kansas City, but he was also voted as the team’s Most Valuable Player two of those three seasons.

Of course, we were told, the Chiefs wanted him for a few more seasons. Who wouldn’t?

A new report says the Kansas City Chiefs never once offered a new contract to Tyrann Mathieu beyond the 2021 season.

It turns out the Chiefs didn’t want him—or at least the writing was on the wall enough that they knew it wasn’t worth the effort.

Per a new report from ESPN’s Kimberley Martin, the Chiefs had a different plan when free agency hit. We’ll let her explain it herself since it’s her report:

Now, what no one knows here is what sort of in-person conversations were being had around this. Perhaps it was clear that Mathieiu wanted to reach a certain financial threshold and the Chiefs just were not going to get there. Maybe things soured interpersonal in recent weeks. All we’re left with is conjecture at this point, which means it’s also possible that the Chiefs were smiling for the cameras all along.

For two sides that were so publicly enthralled with each other, it would be odd to see the lack of negotiations happening around this time. However, the Chiefs and Mathieu didn’t even offer that up. It’s been complete radio silence on any real movement or attempts to check on a potential deal up until free agency tampering began, and then the Chiefs made the biggest statement of all. They signed his replacement in Justin Reid.

Martin’s report that the Chiefs never offered a deal makes sense alongside the early signing of Reid, since that would have taken time to iron out the details. If the Chiefs’ plan was to “go in a different direction”, as she notes, then chasing Reid as a young replacement makes sense as soon as that has been decided. And the timing of Reid’s deal insinuates the Chiefs have known about that plan for quite some time.

At this point, it doesn’t really matter. What’s done is done and the Chiefs have turned the page to a new era on defense with the signing of Reid. Chiefs Kingdom would do well to welcome him as they did Mathieu before him. However, in the future when listening to the team speak of various hopes and wishes, just realize that words without action are about as meaningful as Raiders’ bus trip around Arrowhead.

If the Chiefs really want something done, they can and will do it. Anything else is just lip service.