KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, perhaps better known as "Honey Badger," announced his retirement from pro football Tuesday.
Mathieu was a key player for a Chiefs defense that made the Super Bowl in two of his three seasons, including winning Super Bowl LIV over the San Francisco 49ers 31-20.
“As I hang up my cleats, I’m filled with gratitude as I close this chapter of my life and officially retire from the game that’s shaped me in every way,” Mathieu, 33, said Tuesday on a social media post on Instagram.
Mathieu was drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, where he would go on to play his first five seasons in the NFL.
He played one season with the Houston Texans before joining the Chiefs for three seasons.
Prior to the 2022 season, Mathieu signed a free agent deal with the New Orleans Saints, bringing him back home to the region where he was born.
Over his 12-year career, Mathieu intercepted 36 passes, returning four of them for touchdowns.
He was named to the All-Pro first team in 2015, 2019 and 2020. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015, 2020 and 2021.
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