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Chiefs headlines for Wednesday, July 23
Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu retiring after 12 seasons | NFL.com
In a late-July surprise, Tyrann Mathieu is calling it a career.
The decorated safety is retiring after 12 NFL seasons, the Saints announced Tuesday.
Although he compiled an underwhelming 2024 season, the 33-year-old safety was expected to fill one half of a headline-grabbing safety tandem (with former teammate Justin Reid) in the back end of New Orleans’ defense in 2025. Instead, the Louisiana native is walking away from a Saints team that finds itself in a transitional period after changing coaches in early 2025.
“I’m a little surprised but we had some advanced notice,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Tuesday. “Just have so much respect for Tyrann and what he’s accomplished. I mean, he’s a legendary Louisiana player, legendary NFL player. Really appreciate his time with us. He was fantastic. ... What a great career.”
Tuesday’s news brings an end to a career that began with uncertainty but lasted a dozen years and included plenty of deserved accolades. Mathieu’s career took on a nomadic appearance, but he contributed at every stop along his journey. He earned three first-team All-Pro selections and three Pro Bowl nods over the course of his 12 NFL seasons, won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs and landed on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s, a strong indicator he’ll receive his own place in Canton in the future.
LEFT TACKLE
The common denominator in Kansas City’s two Super Bowl losses over the past five seasons: porous offensive line play. Like we saw from the Chiefs in 2021, this offseason brought a revamp. K.C. signed Moore, drafted Simmons and kicked Kingsley Suamataia inside after he struggled mightily at tackle as a rookie. Suamataia will have to outplay Mike Caliendo for the left guard spot, but the most intriguing battle comes at LT. Ideally, Simmons runs away with starting job and anchors Patrick Mahomes’ blind side for the next decade. Simmons was a top-10 talent but slipped to the end of Round 1 due to a patellar tendon injury suffered at Ohio State. If he’s healthy, K.C. got a steal — not starting out camp on an injury list is a positive sign. However, as the Chiefs found out last year, starting a rookie at left tackle can come with risks. First, Simmons must prove healthy. Then he needs to beat out Moore, the 27-year-old who played a swing-tackle role in San Francisco over the past four seasons, starting just 12 games in his pro career, including five in 2024. The lack of steady reps makes Moore a projection as a full-time starter. He could also slide in on the right side...
