Making sense of the Kansas City Chiefs’ handling of Tyrann Mathieu

The Chiefs experience with Eric Berry

This is a highly subjective argument, but the Chiefs have past experience signing aging superstar safeties to mega-deals. Eric Berry is one of the most iconic figures in recent Chiefs memory, a player who battled and beat cancer and came back as a prolific NFL player in the following seasons.

It wasn’t just his play on the field, it was also his dynamic leadership that set him a part. His leadership was so integral to the team that in following years the Chiefs marketing team would leverage his powerful speeches in public content even while he was on injured reserve.

He was rewarded both for his play on the field and his leadership with a massive 6-year, $78 million contract in 2016. Unfortunately, he would only play 19 of a possible 72 games on that contract before being released by the Chiefs in June of 2019.

If anyone was deserving of a major contract at the position it was Eric Berry. He was the heart and soul of the entire Chiefs team at the time, in a way Tyrann Mathieu has never achieved. Unfortunately, father time is undefeated.

Tyrann Mathieu doesn’t have the same injury history that Berry had. Still, given the Chiefs experience signing aging players it’s understandable they’d be hesitant to commit to Mathieu long term at his current age. Especially, given the uncertainty around where his play is trending.

Tyrann Mathieu’s play on the field

Mathieu was a home run signing, arguably one of the best free agent acquisitions in Chiefs history. In his first season with the team he brought an off-field charisma and on-field animosity to the defense en route to a First Team All Pro selection.

Mathieu galvanized the Chiefs defense in multiple dark moments during the 2019 Super Bowl run, culminating in his exploits in Super Bowl LIV. Following his desperately needed sideline tirade in the second half of that game, the Chiefs defense held the 49ers offense scoreless the rest of the game.

The Chiefs defense hit a rhythm the second half of the 2019 season, thanks in large part to their leader and captain Tyrann Mathieu. The Chiefs don’t win the Super Bowl without him.

The 2020 and 2021 seasons were a different story, with both Mathieu’s impact and the overall defensive success declining. The defensive rhythm and the unit’s impact from 2019 never resurfaced for more than a short stretch here or there. A very poor Super Bowl LV performance was followed up by a season of significant struggles on and off the field.

The struggles weren’t all Mathieu’s fault or responsibility, but he was a three-time captain and the unquestioned leader of the unit. The defense has been trending in the wrong direction, so it’s rational to see this as the deciding factor in why the Chiefs chose to go in a different direction with its leader.