NFL Trade Rumors: Should Kansas City Chiefs trade S Tyrann Mathieu?

The Kansas City Chiefs and 2020 All-Pro S Tyrann Mathieu have yet to agree on a new contract extension. Tyrann Mathieu is entering the final year of the current deal he signed prior to the 2019 season and is due for a hefty payday.

Seattle Seahawks S Jamal Adams now averages $17.5 million per year from his new four-year, $70 million contract that resets the market and Tyrann Mathieu could warrant around $16 million annually based on Adam's deal. He's had 10 INTs over the last two seasons, including 137 tackles and two sacks. PFF has Tyrann Mathieu as their 11th-best safety entering the 2021 season (Jamal Adams is 10th) as the complete package and elite playmaker.

Highest paid safeties on a per-year basis:--> Jamal Adams: $17.5MJustin Simmons: $15.25MBudda Baker: $14.75MEddie Jackson: $14.6MKevin Byard: $14.1MTyrann Mathieu and Jessie Bates were watching the Adams' situation closely. They're both in the final year of their deals.

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 17, 2021

Tyrann Mathieu is 29 and this will likely be his last major, long-term deal. He's a bonafide leader and a key player to Kansas City's secondary who they cannot afford to lose. Will the Kansas City Chiefs end up losing Tyrann Mathieu, though?

GM Brett Veach says 'timing' is why a deal hasn't been reached between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tyrann Mathieu

GM Brett Veach has given some insight as to why a deal hasn't been made with Tyrann Mathieu yet: timing. Kansas City has $7.6 million in available cap right now and this could be one of the few occasions where a long-term extension won't help the cap situation. Both parties want to stay in business together, but if the Chiefs wait too long to make it happen or low-ball him, could Tyrann Mathieu want out of KC?

.@Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach has no intentions of letting Tyrann Mathieu leave Kansas City..."We know he wants to be here. Right now, for us and for him I think it's just a timing thing."👇AUDIO👇 | #Chiefs | #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/KaQxyjOqxz

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) August 17, 2021

While in Kansas City, Tyrann Mathieu has found some of the best success of his NFL career. Still, a player of his caliber wants his last large paycheck to reflect his worth and production. The longer they wait, the harder it could be to agree on a contract. Others like Orlando Brown and Charvarius Ward are set to be 2022 free-agents as well, the order in which KC signs their impending FAs has a major impact.

Sign Tyrann Mathieu too late and you are low on funds to meet his standards. Sign him too early and KC is backed into a corner with other situations: not enough money for other top-level FAs, unexpected roster needs and no money if another FA has a career-year and asks for a much higher asking price.

HONEY BADGER! Tyrann Mathieu checks into the #NFLTop100 at 58. pic.twitter.com/5N5MnUvjc8

— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) August 16, 2021

But should the Kansas City Chiefs trade Tyrann Mathieu at this point? Absolutely not. Come Week 7 or 8 and there is still no deal, it's a possibility then. If Tyrann Mathieu gets injured, he won't be worth what he wants and the Chiefs get something out of him with a trade. If he has a career-year and 1st-Team All-Pro honors, his price could go up and KC might be unable to afford him and get some value back in a trade. If Tyrann Mathieu gets fed up with the wait or a smaller amount of money than he wanted, he could request a trade.

Should it come to a trade, the Kansas City Chiefs are in good shape to get a decent package for him, with at least a 1st-round pick included.