Tag: Tyrann Mathieu

Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill, Tyrann Mathieu to face off in Madden tournament benefiting coronavirus relief

A pair of Kansas City Chiefs teammates will face off on the digital gridiron on Wednesday in a Madden tournament benefiting COVID-19 relief.

A pair of Kansas City Chiefs players who regularly face off in practice will face off in a digital gridiron on Wednesday, April 1.

NFL platform The Checkdown will be hosting a “Madden NFL 20” tournament benefiting COVID-19 relief efforts. The tournament is set to feature some of the biggest names in the NFL, including two Chiefs players, going head-to-head in the first round.

Tyrann Mathieu and Tyreek Hill will play each other a 6 p.m. CT on the official Madden Twitch channel: twitch.tv/eamaddennfl. The winner will advance to the second round of the tournament and have some pretty big bragging rights in the locker room. In the second round, the winner will face either Los Angeles Chargers WR Keenan Allen or DB Derwin James. A nice little offseason AFC West rivalry can’t hurt, right?

Odds Shark posted odds from Bovada on the upcoming tournament. While Hill is favored to win the tournament at +120, Mathieu tied for the worst odds at +2200. If there is anything I’ve learned during Mathieu’s tenure with the Chiefs, you don’t want to underestimate his ability.

I’ve seen Hill play Madden before, but Mathieu is a bit of a wild card here. Who do you have in the first round of the Madden tournament — Mathieu or Hill? Let us know your answer on Facebook and Twitter.

Tyrann Mathieu calls out the teams that drafted DBs ahead of him

This cornerback draft class didn’t turn out well, with a few exceptions.

Tyrann Mathieu wasn’t going to let off teams for whiffing on a few cornerbacks in the 2013 NFL Draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs defensive back, clearly still riding a high from his Super Bowl in February, was chatting with Bleacher Report draft analyst Matt Miller on Sunday morning. Mathieu asked Miller to point out who got drafted in front of him. Miller shared the following graphic (below), which showed the partially unimpressive class.

The top cornerback, Dee Milliner, had an awful four-year career, which started under Rex Ryan and the New York Jets. Cornerback D.J. Hayden flunked out with the Oakland Raiders, though his work as the Detroit Lions’ third cornerback in 2019 seems to have brought small bit of hope to his career.

Then there’s a group of impressive picks: the Falcons’ Desmond Trufant, the Vikings’ Xavier Howard and the Lions’ Darius Slay. After them, we’re back in no-name’s land, with a handful of players who haven’t established themselves in the league. Finally, we get to Mathieu, the 69th overall pick in the third round.

“Oh my… @_bigplayslay23 what were they thinking ….” Mathieu wrote on Twitter Sunday.

The important context is that the LSU Tigers dismissed Mathieu for a failed drug test and an arrest in 2013. He missed his final college season, which had many NFL teams worried about whether he could handle the rigors of professional football.

That said, this sort of poor drafting is commonplace in the NFL — and pretty much every pro sports league. As fun and hyped-up as the drafts are, the process is a mix of educated guesses and a game of chance.

The NFL may have an even harder time in 2020, because the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19, has limited visits and physicals during the pre-draft process. Players with red flags — whether due to character or physical issues — likely won’t get the same level of scrutiny as in years past.

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Former Texans, Cardinals DB Tyrann Mathieu reacts to DeAndre Hopkins-David Johnson trade

Kansas City Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu played with both DeAndre Hopkins and David Johnson and gave his thoughts on the Texans’ trade with the Cardinals.

No one knows the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans better than Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.

No one knows All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins better than Mathieu, who was his teammate for a season in Houston in 2018.

No one knows All-Pro running back David Johnson better than Mathieu, who was his teammate from 2015-17 in Arizona.

The Honey Badger doesn’t like the move as he took to Twitter Monday afternoon to react to the big news out of the AFC South and NFC West.

Hopkins has been an All-Pro for the past three seasons, including the 2017 season when quarterback Deshaun Watson’s rookie season was scuttled seven games in with a torn ACL. The Texans finished 4-12, but Hopkins still managed to make All-Pro with the likes of Tom Savage and T.J. Yates throwing him the ball.

The Texans have no one to blame but coach Bill O’Brien, who was given full general manager duties in January.

Watson does have players to block for him: Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and right tackle Tytus Howard, who made the PFWA all-rookie team after playing in just eight games due to injuries. The problem is Watson may not have anyone to throw to. The chemistry between Watson and Hopkins went beyond their association with Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers.

Now, the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback will have to develop that same chemistry with receivers Will Fuller, Kenny Stills, Keke Coutee, and DeAndre Carter.

Chris Harris Jr. explains how Tyrann Mathieu has been selling him on Chiefs in free agency

Tyrann Mathieu is reportedly attempting to convince pending free agent Chris Harris Jr. to join him next season in the Chiefs’ secondary. 

The Kansas City Chiefs are still looking to retool their roster this offseason in hopes of making another Super Bowl run. The positions of need are always discussed on the defensive side of the roster.

All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu was a vital addition to the Chiefs defense last season quickly emerging as a team leader. Mathieu appears to be taking his role to another level as an unofficial recruiter for the Super Bowl LIV champions. Mathieu has attempted to convince free agent Chris Harris Jr. to join him next season in the Chiefs’ secondary.

During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Harris Jr. revealed that he’s been in touch with Mathieu regarding a possible team-up in Kansas City.

“[He says] just come up there, man,” Harris Jr. told TMZ Sports. “Play with him, be able to do what I’ve done in the past — play everywhere on the field, and also play with a great quarterback!”

Harris Jr. is a four-time Pro Bowler and was a member of the Super Bowl 50 champion Denver Broncos. He’s still amongst the elite defensive backs in the league and could be a great fit in Kansas City as a veteran signing.

“I’m really just looking for the best situation,” Harris Jr. said during his interview with TMZ Sports.”Of course, you want a team that’s going to pay you and appreciate you, one, and then also how they’re going to use me.”

Mathieu has shown to be reliable and studied in the needs of a championship-ready secondary. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach may have other options on his mind, but it wouldn’t hurt to acknowledge what his star defender is trying to accomplish by recruiting Harris Jr. to the team.

Texans awarded 3 compensatory picks in 2020 NFL Draft

The Houston Texans were awarded three compensatory picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Houston Texans got a few extra resources for the 2020 NFL Draft.

The NFL announced Tuesday that the AFC South champions would get three compensatory picks in the April draft.

Houston was awarded the earliest compensatory pick of the draft in the third round at No. 97 overall. This is possibly due to the Kansas City Chiefs signing defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who earned All-Pro honors with the AFC West champions en route to a Super Bowl LIV victory.

The Texans also got two seventh-round picks at No. 248 and No. 250, which could be because of the Denver Broncos signing defensive back Kareem Jackson and the Dallas Cowboys signing defensive lineman Christian Covington.

Houston had four picks heading into the draft. Now with the awarding of compensatory picks, the Texans have a total of seven with three of their seven occurring in the seventh round. Coach Bill O’Brien, now the full-time general manager, will have to coordinate with his personnel and scouting departments to best utilize their picks.

Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu, WR Mecole Hardman reflect on 2019 season at 101 Awards

Chiefs’ Mathieu and Hardman received end of season awards as voted by their peers.

2The top performers in the NFL from the 2019 season gathered in Kansas City on Saturday night to be honored at the 50th annual 101 Awards Banquet.

Among the players honored were Kansas City Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu and WR Mecole Hardman. Both players received respective end of season awards as voted by their peers. Mathieu received the Derrick Thomas MVP award and Hardman received The Mack Lee Hill award for rookie of the year. Each player had a chance to speak and reflect on the award and their Super Bowl-winning season.

Hardman was the first man up, and he was a little surprised that he had to speak to the crowd.

“I didn’t know I had to speak today,” Hardman began. “I just want to thank Mr. Hunt and the staff he put together [for giving] me a chance to actually play with the Chiefs. It’s been a great year like [Clark Hunt] said, not even a full year to win the Super Bowl, so you really can’t write it any better. And then playing with guys like Tyrann [Mathieu] and learning from him. [Mathieu] took me under his wing, [and made] my game elevate to the next level. Winning this award is a great honor because of the guys that won it before me. [To be] in that same room with those guys like Tyreek [Hill]. I think Derrick Johnson won this award. To be mentioned with those guys is a great honor. I want to thank all of y’all for being here, I’m just very thankful to have this award. Thank you all for having me on this team. And hopefully, we can win [the Super Bowl] again next year — maybe two years — two Super Bowls. It’s been a great year, man. I love everybody on this team, my teammates and the staff. Mr. Hunt has done a great job putting an organization together that is about family and everybody love’s one another. I [wouldn’t] be happy to be part of another team. I hope that I can be here for my whole career.”

Clark Hunt enjoyed the part of his speech about adding two more Lombardi Trophies to the case and Hardman staying in Kansas City for the duration of his career. Mathieu kicked his speech off by saying thanks to everyone who helped him achieve this award.

“I’m truly honored to be here tonight,” Mathieu said. “I just want to start out by thanking God for his grace in my life and throughout my life. I want to thank the Hunt family for bringing me to Kansas City, not only allowing me to represent them on the football field but also in the community, I’m truly grateful for that. I want to thank my coaches as well. [I want to thank] Coach [Andy] Reid for seeing me, believing in me as a leader, a guy who could push this team forward. I want to personally thank my coaches who I spent probably the most time with: Spags [Steve Spagnuolo], [Dave] Merritt, [Brendan] Daly, [Matt] House, [Sam] Madison [and] even Big T [Dave Toub]. Those guys give me a lot of information, allow me to go out there, play as fast as I can and as fearless as I can and every now and then, tap my head. I think those guys have really helped me out a lot and have really [taken] my game to the next level.”

Later, Mathieu would thank the committee of 101 for putting on this event. He’d also thank his fiancee for sticking by his side. He continued his speech, taking us through his decision to come to Kansas City and what it means to be a leader.

”I think one of the bigger reasons I came to Kansas City was [because] I can obviously see the tradition within this organization, but also with the fan base,” said Matheiu. “It reminds me a lot of where I’m from, Louisiana, [and] how much they used to rally around their team. To be a part of that is always special. You don’t always feel that at this level, so I’m grateful for that. . . I think any time you can be recognized as a team MVP, I think it says little about myself, but really more about the people I’m surrounded by. I think a lot of those guys inspire me really as much as I inspire them. I think those guys give me the confidence that I need to do my job at a high level. I think a lot those guys, they’ll follow me anywhere. I’m trying my best to lead them in the right direction. So I take great pride in it.”

From there, Mathieu took a look back at the season.

“I really reflect on the season, and I see a team that had great expectations coming into the season,” Mathieu said. “Like Mitch [Holthus] said, we had some adversity. The quarterback got hurt. Chris Jones wasn’t playing. Frank Clark was banged up. [There was] even a stretch in there where I wasn’t making real impact plays. We were able to kind of overcome that, and fight through that to get to the playoffs. To be down multiple possessions I think the only way you can come back is to believe in your teammates, to believe in your coaches and then have a certain foundation that you can really rely on. I think all of those things were built up through training camp and through the spring. So I’m grateful for the men that surround me, not even just the men, but the women as well. I think we have a great organization and we have a great staff. I think my job is much easier than people think. It’s not that hard at all [to] be yourself, showing up to work and doing something you love to do. . . I look forward to bringing another Lamar Hunt Trophy and another Lombardi Trophy as well. I know Clark [Hunt] will enjoy that. We’ll enjoy this victory but I know the guys in our locker room will want to get back to work and hopefully do it again. I accept this award on behalf of all my teammates. Without those guys, I’m virtually nothing.”

You can watch the full video with speeches from Mitch Holthus and Clark Hunt on the Chiefs’ Facebook page. Other 101 Award winners include 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan for NFC Coach of the Year, Ravens HC John Harbaugh for AFC Coach of the Year, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson for AFC Offensive Player of the Year, Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore for AFC Defensive Player of the Year, Saints WR Michael Thomas for NFC Offensive Player of the Year and Cardinals LB Chandler Jones for NFC Defensive Player of the Year. Late Packers legend Bart Starr received the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football. You can watch the press conferences from some of those players and coaches here.

Texans had an informal meeting with Tulane DB Bopete Keyes

The Houston Texans have met informally with Tulane Green Wave defensive back Bopete Keyes at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Houston Texans are in a predicament with their cornerback group. Starters Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby are currently without a contract and are set to hit free agency on March 18.

The Texans are looking to the 2020 NFL Draft for depth, and one of the defensive backs they met with informally was Tulane’s Bopete Keyes.

Informal meetings include the position coach, in this case, Texans secondary coach D’Anton Lynn. Teams are not limited to the number of informals they can hold with the 337 attendees. The only limitation is they can only have 45 formal interviews, and those meetings are limited to 18 minutes.

Keyes stands at 6-1, 200 pounds and would be more along the lines of Lonnie Johnson, who the Texans took in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

The senior from Laurel, Miss., says that he looks up to a former Texans safety both on and off the field in Tyrann Mathieu, who made All-Pro with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 as part of their Super Bowl run.

If the Texans could get Keyes and he produces Mathieu-level production on his rookie contract, Houston would have made a nice transition from the Joseph era to a younger one.

Even Tyrann Mathieu doesn’t see Joe Burrow turning away Bengals

An LSU connection doesn’t see it happening.

The idea Joe Burrow would scoff at the Cincinnati Bengals and pull an Eli Manning at the top of the 2020 NFL draft was always a silly one.

And thankfully, certain elements are starting to push back against that idea, including Doug Gottlieb, who smartly shot down the narrative.

And now Kansas City Chiefs star and Super Bowl champ Tyrann Mathieu has joined the fray.

“Me just knowing him for the last couple years,” Mathieu said, according to TMZ, “He’s super competitive … he knows he can be the guy.”

And Mathieu would know better than most given the LSU connection there.

This isn’t the first time Mathieu has spoken on the topic either, as the Honey Badger was previously adamant the Bengals must make Burrow the pick.

We’ve heard rumblings of Burrow’s competitive spirt and embracing a challenge like turning around the Bengals. It especially helps that he’s from the area and it would be a homecoming of sorts.

In other words, it’s rather nice to hear some of the offseason buzz going the other direciton, right?

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Mic’d-up video captures Tyrann Mathieu’s incredible pregame Super Bowl speech

“We need to be remembered.”

Tyrann Mathieu was one of the more impactful additions to the Chiefs defense heading into this season. Obviously, Mathieu’s versatility on the field as a do-it-all defensive star was key, but the Honey Badger also brought an invaluable leadership presence to the Kansas City defense.

That was on display during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl 54 win over the 49ers.

One of the game’s turning points was when a frustrated Mathieu could be seen on the sideline trying to fire up his teammates. Before the game, though, Mathieu had his defense ready to go with an awesome pregame speech.

NFL Films captured the mic’d-up video and posted it to Twitter.

Mathieu said:

“Hey, dog! Hey, this is why we here, dog. This why we here. You remember that (expletive) stretch we had in September, October? We knew what kind of team we was, dog. All we had to do was believe in each other and play for each other. I watched a lot of y’all drop y’all pride this year, dog. I watched a lot of people step up, dog. Big time players! That’s what we need today. We need energy. We need oneness, dog. We need to be remembered. Let’s go! Let’s go! Hey, champions on 3.”

Yeah, I’m ready to play a football game myself now. That was great. And hey, the speech worked.

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How did the former Cardinals do in Super Bowl LIV?

The Chiefs have five former Cardinals on the team. Three played in the game. None made a huge impact in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win.

There were five former Arizona Cardinals players connected to Super Bowl LIV on Sunday — all with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs won the game 31-20, rallying in the fourth quarter from a 20-10 deficit.

How did these former Cardinals do?

They didn’t have a huge impact.

Two did not play.

Defensive end Alex Okafor is on injured reserve and defensive tackle Xavier Williams, though active for the game, did not play.

Fullback Anthony Sherman played seven offensive snaps and 18 snaps on special teams. He did not log any stats in the game.

Defensive end Terrell Suggs played 33 defensive snaps and had two tackles and a quarterback hit.

Safety Tyrann Mathieu played all 58 defensive snaps in the game for the Chiefs. He had six total tackles, tied for second on the team. That was it, though.

None made a huge impact on the result of the game but all five are now world champions.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 256

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Ep. 255

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