Getty Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu got into it with a reporter on Twitter following a Week 6 victory.
The Kansas City Chiefs got the win this afternoon over the Washington Football Team, 31-13, but that didn’t stop Tyrann Mathieu from getting into it with a reporter on Twitter after the game.
Sports Illustrated writer Joshua Brisco tweeted at the defensive playmaker indirectly before the conclusion of the Week 6 outing. He wrote: “I’m probably gonna get tweeted at for this, but if you’re going to be screaming at the sidelines when stuff breaks down, you should use your arms to complete a sack on an untouched blitz instead of going for the hit stick.”
I’m probably gonna get tweeted at for this, but if you’re going to be screaming at the sidelines when stuff breaks down, you should use your arms to complete a sack on an untouched blitz instead of going for the hit stick.
Brisco was talking about Mathieu’s reaction to a blown coverage that resulted in a 39-yard touchdown catch by Ricky Seals-Jones, and a would-be sack by the safety that WFT quarterback Taylor Heinicke was able to evade. For the record, the reporter was right about one thing, he did get tweeted at and it didn’t take long.
look at the bottom left, you can see a split second of Tyrann Mathieu getting pissed LOL
ALL the latest Chiefs news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Chiefs newsletter here!
Mathieu Uses Injury to Clap Back at Reporter
It didn’t take long for the ‘Honey Badger’ to attack on Twitter. In a response that he later deleted, Mathieu stated: “Fractured my thumb. Couldn’t even use my right arm. That’s why I lunged with my shoulder. Next time at me, imma big boy. I expect you to act the same. Cry baby a*****.”
Image: @Mathieu_Era on Twitter.
If the safety is speaking the truth, he just revealed an in-game injury that no one was aware of to help defend his missed opportunity on the blitz that Brisco referenced. Mathieu also called the reporter out for not tweeting his remarks at him directly.
It didn’t end there, as Brisco replied with another tweet of his own. This time he wrote: “step 1. find mild critique of one play, step 2. call person a baby, step 3. delete tweet, step 4. ???, step 5. profit.”
step 1. find mild critique of one play
step 2. call person a baby
step 3. delete tweet
step 4. ???
step 5. profit
Five minutes later, Brisco decided to backtrack a bit after supporters came to Mathieu’s defense on social media. “I’ve rethought some things and I have new analysis on today’s game: everyone was perfect. I will have no further comments at this time,” the media member concluded.
Follow the Heavy on Chiefs Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest KC-related daily content, analysis, features and more!
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Later at 6:40 p.m., Mathieu tweeted: “I can’t let these people divide the family.”
I can’t let these people divide the family.
It’s a nice sentiment from the safety, but his words do not reflect his recent actions. Mathieu has been visibly frustrated at teammates over the past few weeks on several occasions. We already highlighted his body language on the Seals-Jones TD, but that wasn’t the first time the vocal star gave fans a look behind the curtain.
During the Week 5 blowout against the Buffalo Bills, Mathieu threw up his hands after Daniel Sorensen got burnt on a Josh Allen deep bomb. Fans had fun with the image, being that it was almost identical to a reaction he had both earlier in the game and in Baltimore.
Tyrann Mathieu has nightmares about this
Mathieu was also caught exploding on the sidelines this afternoon.
For what it’s worth, the Chiefs’ defense actually played pretty well in Week 6, holding WFT to 13 total points. Mathieu didn’t have a huge impact in the boxscore with five total tackles, but he does serve an important role as one of the heart and soul leaders of this unit.
After the game, the “emotional player” caught up with James Palmer of the NFL Network and elaborated on the first-half outburst. “We work hard,” Mathieu explained, “I think our coaches work hard and [our] players work hard and I think when you’re not doing the things that you practiced, the things that you expect, somebody has to hold everyone accountable.”
Tyrann Mathieu knows there have been issues with the #chiefs defense. They’ve struggled. He’s ready to hold everybody accountable. They pitched a shutout in the second half. Our conversation postgame on @nflnetwork
You can’t blame Mathieu for being upset, this defense has been miserable in 2021. Kansas City will look to build on this performance as they prepare for a road game against the Tennesse Titans in Week 7.