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At the start of the offseason, both safety Tyrann Mathieu and the Chiefs expressed interest in working together again, but their relationship is over.
Mathieu became a free agent last month and remains unsigned after the Chiefs decided to secure Justin Reid on a three-year, $31.5 million deal. In an interview with the Kansas City Star’s Sam McDowell, Mathieu said he was “heartbroken” that the Chiefs hadn’t offered him a contract and “couldn’t understand” why that was.
Mathieu also said he likely would have accepted the same offer the Chiefs made to Reid.
“To be honest, if they had offered me Justin Reid’s deal, obviously I would have tried to negotiate, but if they had drawn their line in the sand there, I probably would have taken it,” Mathieu said. “I probably would have taken it. The agents will do their thing, but at the end of the day it’s the player’s decision whether to sign it or not.”
Mathieu has recently had meetings with the Saints and Eagles so he may be nearing a new home for the 2022 season. This won’t be the happy ending he would have dreamed up a few months ago, but he’ll have a chance to make a new one wherever he plays.