The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans after a historic comeback, but there was a play where Tyrann Mathieu could have lit up Deshaun Watson. A day after the Chiefs' victory, Mathieu took to social media to explain why he didn't drill Watson late in the game.
The game was over. Yeah that’s my boy , but I’m not fake tough, I don’t have to hit you to make me feel like imma big beast. This is football, but every act isn’t violent. https://t.co/KmNl7zDEhF
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) January 13, 2020
Dating back to his days at LSU, Mathieu is known to be a tough-nosed player who isn't afraid to make any hit. But on this specific play, the versatile safety, now with the Chiefs, chose to prevent himself from making a devastating hit.
The reason why he held up was that the game was nearly over and there was no need for him to hit Deshaun Watson. On the play, Mathieu made his way into the backfield unimpeded. Instead of trying to take Watson to the ground, Mathieu slightly pushed the quarterback after he made a throw.
Last year, Mathieu signed a one-year deal to play with the Texans. During his time in Houston, the playmaking defensive back built a bond with a few of the players on the Texans—including Watson.
Considering that, Mathieu knows the violent nature of football and didn't want to take a cheap shot on a former teammate. Especially when his current team in the Chiefs already had the game handily won.
This season, Mathieu has made quite the difference in his first season with the Chiefs. In the regular season, Tyrann Mathieu contributed 75 tackles, two sacks, 12 deflections, and four interceptions. His four interceptions are the most he has had in a season since 2015.
For the majority of games, Mathieu plays with a fearless mentality that is unmatched by many players. However, after seven seasons in the NFL, he realizes that some situations are bigger than football.
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