Tyrann Mathieu left KC for New Orleans, but he didn’t leave the Chiefs locker room

About 15 minutes before the start of each practice, a delegation of Chiefs defensive backs leaves the locker room, walks outside and follows the steps onto the field.

Furthermore, the surface of the grass is cleared before their arrival, which is the essence of the idea: punctuality and symbolism in equal parts.

Well, that’s not the case their idea, to be clear. They continue a tradition of early practitioners, passed down for several years, or at least long enough that no one who participates today is actually there at its origin.

Which one is?

“It was really established,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said, “with Tyrann from the beginning.”

Tyrann Mathieu.

Six seasons ago, the Chiefs made one of the best free agent signings in franchise history. I could point to the Super Bowl that ended a half-century championship drought, or the two All-Pro selections or the two Pro Bowl nominations as proof of this catch. Mathieu accomplished a lot during his three-year stay in Kansas City.

Nothing, however, is more striking than what remained after his departure.

“A lot of the traditions that he established,” said Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams, who never even played with Mathieu, “they’re still there.”

Finally, Mathieu himself will be there again.

He will return to Kansas City as a member of the Saints for Monday Night Football, his first trip to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium as a visitor since the Chiefs opted to end their relationship after the 2022 season.

That decision by the Chiefs broke Mathieu’s heart – something he told me then – but he was very productive until his early 30s in New Orleans, the city that shaped him as a person as much as a player.

Both made an impact in Kansas City.

To haveIn fact.

The present.

This is proof of its uniqueness. A considerable number of players have been part of this dynasty – only three have started all three Super Bowl victories, if that gives you any idea of ​​the turnover – but the nature of the business requires teams to move on . It is rare for such a personality to remain in the background.

Mathieu’s prints are still all over the room. He deliberately set an example for the younger players when he was here in KC. They just as deliberately continue to use the examples, even after he is gone.

There was a moment last month when Spagnuolo tried to explain a coverage concept to his defense where he preferred to use words. Why not show the cover in the app? Spagnuolo turned on the film.

On the screen, there he was: Mathieu.

“We always look at his old tapes and how a technique was played or how someone played a route,” Williams said. “He’s definitely showing up.”

It’s the player.

And then there is the person.

The Chiefs had the 31st ranked defense the year before he signed in 2019, so it was natural to use some salary cap space to refurbish the defense. But in his second full offseason, general manager Brett Veach has made it a point to change not only the talent inside the room, but also its culture.

This led him to Mathieu.

This offseason, before even playing a game, Mathieu had the loudest voice on the field. He sat in the front row at meetings. He held weekly meetings at his home, hoping it would create chemistry.

A player with just one career playoff victory bragged about his championship swagger, a slogan stamped on T-shirts and hung in locker room stalls.

And, oh, yes, the Chiefs did well. The defense allowed just 11.5 points per game in the second half of the season. A complete change in performance was preceded by a complete change in attitude and leadership.

I cannot offer any statistics to measure this consequence.

But I can say that measures are underway. This is import.

“I think I was a young player when he got here, just seeing the type of leader — I think that’s something I’ll remember forever,” Mahomes said. “The way he inspired the guys, the energy he played with – I mean, he’s obviously a great football player; everyone can see it – but he really is a great leader. One of the best leaders I have ever been around.

Linebacker Nick Bolton came from the 2021 draft, and it was pretty obvious from the start that the Chiefs were going to use him a lot. But honestly? He was swimming. Spagnuolo runs a complicated defense, among the most complicated in the league, and about a week into his first training camp, the Chiefs lost three linebackers to injury.

Bolton? Go get them, kid. All yours.

It was Mathieu who took him aside, and if there was some rah-rah in his speech, it was the substance that stood out. Bolton thought he had begun to understand the playbook, but it was an exercise in memorization. A crash study, in a way.

In this exercise, the answer to a simple question was lost: why?

“Tyrann helped me through a lot of things,” Bolton said. “Coming from university, I’m not really going to understand why we did things. …As a defensive player, it helps you play faster (and with) a clear mind when you understand the reasons why. I think it was a huge role.

This comes from Mathieu.

And now it comes from Bolton.

This is another piece that remained. Bolton’s memory of his own whirlwind and the recognition that those who follow him are likely experiencing the same thing pushed him to take on this role as teacher.

“I try to break down and give people the rhyme or reasons,” he said. “I feel like I learned a lot from (him). And finally, this guy is a real pro. I strive to be like that.

It’s fitting, in this case, that Bolton wears number 32, the same number Mathieu wore at KC. He continues to imitate what he learned years ago. Last year, when the Chiefs traveled to New Orleans for the preseason, he and Mathieu swapped jerseys. The black and gold uniform top hangs in Bolton’s basement at his Arizona home.

No. 32.

But the impact is also felt on others. Like number 15.

Mahomes’ locker used to be across the street from Mathieu’s inside the Chiefs practice facility. They led opposing teams, in some ways, Mahomes on offense and Mathieu on defense.

“He strived to get the most out of every play. He treated practice like a game. He tried to get better every day,” Mahomes said. “And it’s something that’s helped me become who I am.”

It’s the legacy.

And there are few better compliments to a player’s influence than this: It has outlived his presence.

Mathieu has been gone for three years now. He is not part of the Chiefs locker room in the literal sense of the word.

But you will find it everywhere.