KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When the Chiefs brought in veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu, he took ownership of revamping the attitude of a defense.
But that attitude has frequently spilled into his social media accounts — and not always in a positive way.
A day after he said Chiefs fans “might be one of the most toxic fan bases in all of sports” in an Instagram exchange that also included linebacker Anthony Hitchens, Mathieu expressed regret and backtracked from those comments.
“That was a mistake on my part,” Mathieu said during a Zoom call Saturday. “Obviously I haven’t had the season I’ve wanted to have. I think as a team, we could say the same. Frustration tends to build up. Obviously people that really know me — teammates, people that I deal with in the community, even fans that I happen to come across in the gas station — I think all these people can see me being a genuine person.
“Obviously I shouldn’t have used those choices of words. I think I’m man enough to admit that and really own that. Just looking forward to playing better, doing better and I think most importantly not being a distraction to my team.”
Mathieu, who has nearly 3 million followers between his Twitter and Instagram accounts, is a frequent user of both platforms. He’s proven unafraid — and has been willing, actually — to engage in arguments with fans, many of whom comment using anonymous accounts.
On Friday, an Instagram account that goes by the handle “Arrowhead Nation” asked fans to rank general manager Brett Veach’s worst moves, listing Hitchens’ five-year, $45 million contract in 2018 as one option.
Hitchens’ verified Instagram account initially responded with two laughing emojis. But after fans criticized him, Hitchens wrote: “All we did was go to 3 AFC champions game and 2 Super Bowls and 1 SB win... in my first 3 years here so far !!y’all fans will never be satisfied it’s sad”'
That generated more comments from users, including several from Mathieu’s verified account.
Mathieu wrote: “big facts. This might be one of the most toxic fan bases in all of sports”
A fan took exception to the idea that all Chiefs supporters were being negative and Mathieu then wrote: “I don’t care how you feel. You can’t beat me at anything life has to offer”
To another person, Mathieu wrote: “that’s your problem, you listen to haters. Y’all people are trash“
Asked Saturday if he planned to alter his approach to social media, Mathieu said, “Yeah, the intention is to always grow. I think every day I wake up, I try to find ways to grow as a father, as a football player and as a person. Obviously that’s one of the things I would like to grow in.
“Listen, I give football everything I’ve got. I’m like all-in with this thing. Obviously we don’t want to lose, but I gotta do a better job of dealing with the negativity. This game means a lot to me. My teammates mean a lot to me.
“So from time to time, certain things (and) certain comments can get under my skin. Not just me personally, but with my teammates, as well. I always feel like I have to come to the defense of somebody, whether it’s me or my teammates. I do think there’s a time and a place for everything, so that’s one of the areas I could see myself growing in as a I get older in this league.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he talks with players during training camp about their interactions with fans on social media.
“These are emotional guys that love being Chiefs,” Reid said. “They take a lot of pride — and pride in each other, and they protect each other. I did tell (Mathieu) that’s a dangerous area, though. We make that very clear. You’re really just talking to one guy, but now you’re talking to the whole world. We gotta do a better job with that in this case. I think Tyrann just told you that.”
