KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs can officially put Plan A in place for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.
Safety Tyrann Mathieu has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list, meaning he is available to play in the 3:25 p.m. season opener at Arrowhead Stadium.
How much action he’ll see after not practicing at all this past week, however, is another matter.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo indicated during the week that the three-time All-Pro safety is the type of player who could play without practice.
But the coaching staff could decide to limit his snaps because of all that missed time.
“This dude we’re talking about is a special guy, in my opinion,” Spagnuolo said Thursday. “So, we’ll see, but I think we’ve got to be fair to him.
“We always say that sometimes you’ve got to protect the players from themselves, so we’ll be careful there. Coach Reid and I have talked about it with (head athletic trainer) Rick (Burkholder).”
With Mathieu available alongside fellow safeties Juan Thornhill, Daniel Sorensen and Armani Watts, depth should not be an issue for the Chiefs at this position.
The last time Mathieu faced the Browns, in the 2020 AFC divisional round, he totaled a team-high seven tackles, an interception and a pass defensed.
The Chiefs also elevated rookie defensive back Zayne Anderson from the practice squad Saturday.
