Tyrann Mathieu is one of those elite safeties in the league whose life changed when he joined the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in two Super Bowls with Patrick Mahomes and won one against the San Francisco 49ers. Just imagine the experience he gained and the memories he made along the way, thanks to Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo.

The Super Bowl winner took to The Richard Sherman Podcast and reminisced on his past experiences in the league. It wasn’t long before Richard Sherman picked his brain about his time with the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints safety had a tale to tell about Patrick Mahomes the Chiefs’ DC, Steve Spagnuolo.

Mathieu talked about how coach Spags gave him the freedom to turn his career around and have some autonomy on the field while he was at it. “Coach Spags, man, like, he was one of those coaches that really gave me the keys. He really allowed me to be that middle fielder, center fielder for that defense and really take control and own it. Man, I was so proud to be able to have that opportunity and capitalize on it because we all want that opportunity.”

The Saints safety has expressed time and again his gratitude to Steve Spagnuolo for “rejuvenating” his career. In his 5-year career with the Arizona Cardinals, he averaged about 65 tackles in a year. But with the Chiefs, that number jumped to 71. In the past, the safety expressed how everything changed when Chandler Jones joined the Cardinals, and the team centered their defense around him. Mathieu left because the “defense wasn’t for me anymore.”

Mathieu, in his time with the Chiefs, was the leader of their defense. In his last season with the Chiefs (2021), there was a game against the Washington Commanders where he lost composure when the opposition converted a third down. The safety was shouting on the sidelines, but his teammates saw it as Mathieu’s competitive nature. Coach Spags was impressed with his commitment.

“He’s the glue,” Spagnuolo said. “He’s the guy that can get in the huddle in practice and say, ‘Hey, we need to step it up.’ You need guys like that. That stuff, I value as a coordinator. It makes my job a lot easier. When you’re a coach and you have a player like that, that helps.”

The Chiefs signed him on a 3-year $42 million deal and all he wanted to do was to do justice to that contract. His tenure with the Chiefs turned out to be a great one and to say that least, and safe to say, he departed on good terms. By the end of it all, Mathieu was “proud” of the “fun” experience he had with Patrick Mahomes and Steve Spagnunolo.

Patrick Mahomes fueled the fire in Tyrann Mathieu

Working with Patrick Mahomes opened up many gates for the Saints’ Safety. First of all, a Super Bowl win against the 49ers got him much-needed recognition on and off the field. Moreover, Mahomes’ winning personality was something that the safety could count on. On one occasion, Mahomes even reciprocated the same love Mathieu had for him and his Chiefs.

“I knew Patrick Mahomes was going to be pretty good, you know,” Mathieu said. “He’s one of those dudes that, he practiced how he was going to play. It was fun being his teammate.” But this feeling isn’t one-sided. Turns out, Patrick Mahomes also knew exactly who Tyrann Mathieu was. He let his thoughts known after the 31-13 win against the Commanders in the 2021 season.

After his tantrum in the 2021 game against the Commanders, Mahomes came out and addressed the issue with poise. He knew that Mathieu was a “fun teammate” who brought an “infectious energy” and a “love for football” that just can’t be ignored.

With that being said, do check out our latest Think Tank exclusive interview with Doug Sanders. It’s packed with insights on the current NFL season, college football, NIL, and much more.