Tyrann Mathieu proving to be franchise-altering signing for Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs invested heavily in free-agent safety Tyrann Mathieu last offseason. He has proved to be a transformative figure for the Chiefs defense.

On the first day of NFL free agency’s legal tampering period, the Kansas City Chiefs pounced. Defensive back Tyrann Mathieu. Three years, $42 million, $26M guaranteed.

It represented a handsome raise from the prove-it deal the Houston Texans gave him the year prior.

The deal was met with skepticism from some front office personnel I reached out to. The term “risky” came up multiple times, and one rival scout called it “high-upside” with the caveat “they [the Chiefs] paid a premium for his name” and not his 2018 play with the Texans.

One year into the deal, it’s clear the Chiefs have gotten much more out of Mathieu than what we’d seen in the last few years. The Honey Badger is playing his most well-rounded football since a breakout 2015 season with the Arizona Cardinals. This before health issues started causing a decrease in coverage and effectiveness.

Always a playmaker near the line of scrimmage and capable of playing either safety or slot corner, Mathieu inherently had value even if he repeated his 2018 play. He wasn’t bad, but his struggles in man coverage against bigger targets or agile slot receivers was noticeable. He wasn’t as versatile as he once was. The value of the deal deserved doubt after seeing how much success offenses had looking his way in the red zone.

Time and a slight role tweak has allowed Mathieu to regain his explosiveness and maximize his ball-hawking skills. Since Week 10, the Chiefs defense has transformed into a Super Bowl-caliber unit. Mathieu has been the linchpin for a unit that’s given up only 69 points over its final six regular-season games, fifth-best for such a span since 2010.

At his best again, Mathieu offers the rare ability to force turnovers (four interceptions and 12 pass breakups) and finish plays in space despite his stature (team-leading 63 solo tackles). The second-half of the year has been exemplary as it’s all come together for the 27-year-old. And it’s changed the tune of several evaluators, coaches and players who have seen him up close this year.

One advance scout loved that first-year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnoulo prioritized getting Mathieu to be a rotating zone defender post-snap. The presence of great man corners in Bashaud Breeland and Charvarius Ward, and rangy safety Juan Thornhill (prior to the Week 17 torn ACL) gave Spagnuolo the ability to fully unleash Mathieu in a role that keeps his eyes on the quarterback.

Another front office executive told me “we were interested last offseason but hesitated” when matching the Chiefs’ offer, but “it’s hard to understate what he’s brought them.” That’s also because what Mathieu brings to the table is beyond what’s on film. He’s revered by former teammates due to his work ethic, positivity, and ability to identify and sniff out plays pre-snap.

Earning December’s AFC Defensive Player of the Month award for a five-week stretch that featured 25 tackles, six pass breakups, two interceptions and a sack, Mathieu also received impressive marks from Pro Football Focus.

I dove into his impact moments of the season to see how the Chiefs had unlocked his best form. After seeing him used near the line of scrimmage more with Arizona in 2017 and as a slot safety often with Houston in 2018, it was refreshing to see the Chiefs bounce him around. It hasn’t mattered whether he’s played as a zone safety, outside man corner, or slot man corner. Mathieu has made plays on the ball that helped this once-woeful defense get off the field.

Here’s a highlight clip of his pass breakups on the season, with his assignment being marked pre-snap so it’s easier to see how much ground he’s covering.

Some of the improvement is a direct result of him performing better in one-on-one situations. Several times, whether against DaeSean Hamilton in the slot or a big tight end going over the middle, Mathieu’s perfectly timed his play on the ball to swat it away. He saves first downs in droves and helps swing games.

The middle of the Chiefs defense was a massive point of weakness last year without Mathieu. Their linebacker corps were vulnerable in man coverage, and there wasn’t a reliable playmaking safety to turn the tide when teams entered the red zone. This is a large part in why the team ranked 31st in defense last year.

But Mathieu’s returned to being “the most versatile safety in the league,” as one rival executive described him to me. Spagnuolo can simplify coverage calls and play to his corners’ specific strengths while asking Mathieu to roam and take care of tight ends, whether in man coverage or as a rolling presence that reads the release of his assignment. There are few others even capable of being a box presence while being a playmaker in both man and zone assignments at safety.

Mathieu’s interception reel is as impressive as his pass break-ups. The second interception, coming against Oakland’s Derek Carr, was as good an athletic feat as you’ll see from a defensive back. He manipulates Carr into thinking he’s playing man as he drops back with his hips open towards the vertical route. Instead of continuing upfield, he quickly opens his hips and transitions toward the deep out from the slot, and runs the route better than the receiver to earn the turnover.

The smooth transition is as good as any zone corner in the league can make. The intelligence to trick Carr into reading man or for him to sit in that space and not break outside is elite. It’s one of the many outstanding plays he’s had.

The very next play in the video is his interception of Philip Rivers as a weak-side safety. Again he’s reading the eyes of the quarterback, biding his time and keeping within an attainable distance as he lures Rivers into attempting what seems like an open pass. I sent this clip to a rival advance scout, and their response was “this is what we dream of” when it comes to finding defensive playmakers.

Despite his inclination to see plays unfold unnaturally early, previous years had seen him in roles that mitigated the opportunity to read the quarterback and play in space. Some of that may be due to a reduced burst of agility that has returned this year, but seems unforgivable in retrospect.

Mathieu stunningly missed out on a Pro Bowl distinction, but was named First-Team All-Pro as a defensive back and Second-Team All-Pro as a safety, underscoring his phenomenal campaign. Regardless, Mathieu surely is more focused on helping the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl since 1969.

If he continues to play this well, it won’t be a surprise to anyone if they pull it off.