Andy Reid & Steve Spagnuolo Really Gave Me the Keys: Saints Safety is Proud of His Chiefs Stint

Over the years, Super Bowl-winning HC Andy Reid’s command over the game transformed the career trajectory of many young athletes. And now this New Orleans Saints Safety reveals how the Coach “gave him keys” that upgraded his game.

Saints defensive player Tyrann Mathieu spent 3 seasons with the Chiefs before joining his hometown team Saints in 2022 for a $33 million deal. Currently, he’s signed with the team until the end of the 2026 season.

While appearing on the Richard Sherman podcast, Mathieu revealed that during his time with the Chiefs, the head coach Andy Reid, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo were instrumental in making him a more dynamic player:

“I look back on my Kansas City experience and you know outside of Coach Reed, Coach Spags like he was one of the coaches that really gave me the keys man. Like he really allowed me to you know be that middle fielder you know going to fi the First Defense.”

He added that the coach’s techniques helped him get a grasp of himself on the field and he was proud to be a former Chiefs player. In his time with the Chiefs, he scored 13 interceptions in 47 appearances for the team and was part of the 2020 Super Bowl-winning team’s defensive line.

While talking about the star QB Patrick Mahomes, he revealed that it was “fun being his teammates” with a young Mahomes and he was sure of the QB’s success after just a few games together.

I knew Patrick Mahomes was going to be very good: Mathieu

On the show, he revealed that he sensed Mahomes’ talents early in the season and had a strong feeling about his success as a quarterback. Mahomes and Mathieu played together for three seasons and won the 2020 Super Bowl after beating the 49ers.

That year, Mahomes gave his breakout performances as a leader who could carry the team and won the Super Bowl MVP title.

In the final game, the Chiefs had a 10-point deficit with 8 minutes remaining on the clock when Mahomes received the ball but his play with Tyreek was enough to pull the team out of the slump and take the Super Bowl.

In the season, Mathieu won a spot in the Pro Bowl while scoring 75 tackles, 4 interceptions, and two sacks.