NFL Network began to reveal The Top 100 Players of 2021 on Sunday evening.
Tyrann Mathieu was the first Kansas City Chiefs player to appear on this year’s list, but his placement is a bit of a surprise. A year ago, on the heels of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV win, Mathieu was ranked No. 39 overall on the list. This year, Mathieu fell 19 spots down to No. 58 in the rankings.
The most confounding part about all of this is that, statistically, Mathieu’s 2020 NFL season was one of his best yet. He had the third-most interceptions in the league last season with six. He also recorded 56 solo tackles, 15 stops, and 11 pressures on the year, all while playing in the slot, box, and at free safety. His versatility and ability to impact the game were really unrivaled last season.
The Honey Badger 🍯🦡@Chiefs DB @Mathieu_Era makes his way on the #NFLTop100 at 58! pic.twitter.com/ctzNXFi7jP
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 16, 2021
This ranking is compiled with votes from NFL players, so Mathieu should still take pride in knowing that he’s regarded as one of the best in the league by his peers. At the same time, No. 58 isn’t going to sit well with Mathieu and should provide him with an extra chip on his shoulder heading into the 2021 NFL season.
Mathieu made his first appearance back on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list back in 2016 with the Arizona Cardinals. This is his third selection to the list and his second as a member of the Chiefs.
