No. 3 (defense) – S Tyrann Mathieu
It seemed that in the Chiefs’ 2021 season, Mathieu was more famous for expressing his displeasure with the coverage abilities of teammate Daniel Sorensen than he was for anything he did on the field himself.
Well, Mathieu had a point. Several, in fact. As for his own 2021 performance, Mathieu was named the Chiefs’ Derrick Thomas MVP Award winner, and he allowed 39 catches on 51 targets for 397 yards, 241 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 93.3. Mathieu’s value to a defense is about more than just metrics, though — he’s the guy who can play credibly everywhere from the line to the box to the slot to free safety, and can erase quarterbacks and receivers with his range, quickness to the ball, and diagnostic skills. If the Chiefs don’t get a deal done here, or if they don’t franchise Mathieu, some defensive coordinator is going to get himself one of the NFL’s best shot-callers.
As long as he doesn’t put Mathieu anywhere near a safety who can’t cover.
There are certainly a long list of teams that would love to see Mathieu, one of the most dominant secondary players in the entire league, hit the open market. That doesn’t exactly seem likely, though.
As mentioned above, even if the Chiefs can’t get a deal done, they could always franchise tag Mathieu. It would be an expensive one, but this team also can’t afford to lose its best defensive player.
If Mathieu does become a free agent, though, there is sure to be an intense bidding war for his services.
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