Free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu was announced Tuesday as the Kansas City Chiefs’ MVP for the 2021 season. It is the second time in three seasons with the Chiefs that Mathieu has won the award. He also won the Derrick Thomas MVP Award in 2019 after he and defensive end Frank Clark helped revitalize Kansas City’s defense en route to the franchise’s first Super Bowl title in 50 years. Tight end Travis Kelce won the award in 2020.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ top rookie isn’t hard to figure out many years, but the team had a tough choice in awarding the Mack Lee Hill Rookie of the Year Award for the 2021 season. Linebacker Nick Bolton, a second-round pick from Mizzou, led the Chiefs in tackles last season, but center Creed Humphrey, a second-round pick from Oklahoma, and right guard Trey Smith, a sixth-round pick from Tennessee, solidified an offensive line that underwent a wholesale makeover after the Super Bowl LV loss. Kansas City announced Tuesday that Bolton had been selected for the honor. Bolton appeared in 16 games, making 12 starts in 2021. He tallied 112 total tackles, including 70 solo tackles, with 11 tackles for a loss. He also defended three passes and returned a fumble 86 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the regular-season finale at Denver. Humphrey, who started all 17 games last season, finished third in the AP’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind the winner, Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, and New England quarterback Mac Jones. Smith also started all 17 games for Kansas City, which appears set on the interior offensive line for the foreseeable future with Humphrey and Smith joined by veteran left guard Joe Thuney. The awards are voted on by Chiefs players