Chiefs: Tyrann Mathieu hints at looming number change for tenth season

With proposed changes to the NFL’s number restrictions, Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu is considering a new number, but not the obvious one.

Throughout his eight seasons in the NFL, Tyrann Mathieu has worn No. 32.

That might change if the veteran defensive back’s Twitter is believed.

On Wednesday, someone asked Mathieu if he would consider swapping No. 32 for No. 7, the number he wore at LSU. Currently, NFL DBs aren’t allowed to wear single digits, but a proposal to be voted on next month would expand options.

The answer? A change is coming, but not that one.

Mathieu apparently intends to grab the No. 21 jersey in 2022, which would be his 10th season.

It’s not immediately clear what the significance of that number is for the player. No one currently wears it for the Kansas City Chiefs, so there’s seemingly nothing stopping him from taking it now.

In stints with three NFL teams, Mathieu has stuck to No. 32. He was drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals and wore it there. He kept it when he spent a season with Houston and held onto it when he landed in Kansas City.

Tyrann Mathieu is looking ahead to the future

Mathieu will be an unrestricted free agent as a 30-year-old in 2022, so the new number might not be in Chiefs red. It’ll all depend on whether the team can work out an extension to keep him around.

Thus far, the three-year deal they gave to Mathieu in 2019 has worked out beautifully. He has been an All-Pro in each of his two seasons while helping Kansas City get to two Super Bowls and one win.

This past season, he led the Chiefs with six interceptions, including a touchdown return. He also topped the team with nine pass breakups in 15 games.