KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, also known as "The Landlord" and "The Honey Badger," has one particular game circled on his calendar for the upcoming 2020 NFL season.
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers,"Mathieu said Thursday during the Chiefs' schedule release special. "I think anytime you get to play against one of the greatest players to ever play the game, I always look at that as a great challenge."
#Chiefs have won their last 5 season openers. Last week 1 loss came Sept. 7, 2014 vs. Tennessee.
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladd0) May 7, 2020
The reigning champion Chiefs will be featured on five primetime contests, including two nationally televised games at Arrowhead Stadium, next season. The five national games is tied for most in the league and is a continued sign of respect for coach Andy Reid's squad.
"We look forward to raising last year's Super Bowl championship banner," Reid said, "and all that comes with defending our title in 2020."
Part of that title defense includes a Week 12 matchup against Tom Brady, who left New England after two decades this offseason, and the retooled Bucs.
Mathieu said part of the excitement for the Tampa Bay game also stems from seeing familiar faces on the opposing sidelines.
"Going against some of my old ball coaches when I first came into the league, Todd Bowles and Bruce Arians," Mathieu said.
Arians and Bowles used to coach together with the Arizona Cardinals, which is where Mathieu started his NFL career.
The Chiefs kick off the 2020 NFL season against the Houston Texans at 7:20 p.m. on Sept. 10, a game that will be televised on 41 Action News.
