Tyrann Mathieu earns significant honor from Kansas City Chiefs

Former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu was honored by the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday, winning the team’s “Derrick Thomas Award,” given to the MVP for the 2021-22 season. It is the second time Mathieu has won the honor, with the first coming in 2019.

While Tyrann Mathieu did not receive any recognition from the NFL, the Chiefs organization voted him MVP of a team which includes some of the league’s brightest stars. A win over quarterback Patrick Mahomes, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce proves how valuable he has become for the defense and the team.

The standout safety who starred at LSU put together a strong year for the Chiefs this season, making 76 total tackles, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries and a sack to help lead Kansas City to the AFC championship game – where it lost Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Former Missouri Tigers star Nick Bolton also received a postseason honor, making the team award show an SEC sweep. The first round pick and starting linebacker won the Chiefs “Mack Lee Hill Award,” a version of the Rookie of the Year award.

Tyrann Mathieu on Kansas City Chiefs

Tyrann Mathieu has been with the Kansas City Chiefs for the past three seasons – and he’d like to stay put with the organization heading into the 2022-23 campaign.

With the season in the books and Mathieu now out of contract with the Chiefs, the safety was asked after the game what his plan was heading into next season. He made it clear that he wanted to remain in Kansas City.

“I hope so,” Mathieu said, according to the Kansas City Star. “Ever since I came here, I’ve just tried to be the right kind of teammate. I’ve tried to play my part. And obviously it’s always that feeling that you could make more plays for your team, but I’m hoping it works out. I don’t have any control over that, I feel like everything that was in my control, I tried my best to handle it and to do it with a smile. I love this team, I love this locker room. It’s a lot of coaches that I have great relationships with, so I’m hoping, yeah.”

A former On3 Consensus four-star recruit out of the Class of 2010, Mathieu has tallied 213 tackles and 13 interceptions over his three seasons with the Chiefs. The 2021-22 season was his ninth in the NFL, as he was with the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-2017 and Houston Texans in 2018.