NFL Trade Rumors: Should Kansas City Chiefs trade S Tyrann Mathieu?
The Kansas City Chiefs and 2020 All-Pro S Tyrann Mathieu have yet to agree on a new contract extension. Tyrann Mathieu is entering the final year of the current deal he signed prior to the 2019 season and is due for a hefty payday.
Seattle Seahawks S Jamal Adams now averages $17.5 million per year from his new four-year, $70 million contract that resets the market and Tyrann Mathieu could warrant around $16 million annually based on Adam's deal. He's had 10 INTs over the last two seasons, including 137 tackles and two sacks. PFF has Tyrann Mathieu as their 11th-best safety entering the 2021 season (Jamal Adams is 10th) as the complete package and elite playmaker.
Tyrann Mathieu is 29 and this will likely be his last major, long-term deal. He's a bonafide leader and a key player to Kansas City's secondary who they cannot afford to lose. Will the Kansas City Chiefs end up losing Tyrann Mathieu, though?
GM Brett Veach says 'timing' is why a deal hasn't been reached between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tyrann Mathieu
GM Brett Veach has given some insight as to why a deal hasn't been made with Tyrann Mathieu yet: timing. Kansas City has $7.6 million in available cap right now and this could be one of the few occasions where a long-term extension won't help the cap situation. Both parties want to stay in business together, but if the Chiefs wait too long to make it happen or low-ball him, could Tyrann Mathieu want out of KC?
While in Kansas City, Tyrann Mathieu has found some of the best success of his NFL career. Still, a player of his caliber wants his last large paycheck to reflect his worth and production. The longer they wait, the harder it could be to agree on a contract. Others like Orlando Brown and Charvarius Ward are set to be 2022 free-agents as well, the order in which KC signs their impending FAs has a major impact.
Sign Tyrann Mathieu too late and you are low on funds to meet his standards. Sign him too early and KC is backed into a corner with other situations: not enough money for other top-level FAs, unexpected roster needs and no money if another FA has a career-year and asks for a much higher asking price.
But should the Kansas City Chiefs trade Tyrann Mathieu at this point? Absolutely not. Come Week 7 or 8 and there is still no deal, it's a possibility then. If Tyrann Mathieu gets injured, he won't be worth what he wants and the Chiefs get something out of him with a trade. If he has a career-year and 1st-Team All-Pro honors, his price could go up and KC might be unable to afford him and get some value back in a trade. If Tyrann Mathieu gets fed up with the wait or a smaller amount of money than he wanted, he could request a trade.
Should it come to a trade, the Kansas City Chiefs are in good shape to get a decent package for him, with at least a 1st-round pick included.