Tyrann Mathieu walked away from Chiefs camp with a big takeaway about Chamarri Conner, and he didn’t try to soften it.
The former All-Pro safety spent multiple days in St. Joseph watching Kansas City work through training camp, then shared what he saw on his podcast, In The Bayou.
He talked about the work being done by Chiefs coaches behind the scenes, Patrick Mahomes’ comeback, and several other players. But his strongest praise was reserved for Conner, a fourth-year safety heading into a contract year.
Mathieu made it clear he thinks Conner is on the verge of something major.
"I was really impressed with Chamarri Conner. They call him C2.
But he started there the last couple of years. He played nickel last year, but they finally moved him to safety, so he's kind of doing what I did for Spags' defense," said Mathieu.
"He's running the middle. He's playing hook.
I think he's a guy that, if he don't make All-Pro this year, he'll be a Pro Bowler. I think he's that good.
He's that good."
That kind of endorsement lands differently when it comes from someone who knows the position as well as Mathieu does. And in Conner’s case, the move matters.
He has spent a significant amount of time inside over the last two years, especially when Trent McDuffie moved outside, but that usage has not always fit his game. Chiefs fans have seen the problems: in the slot, Conner could be put in tough spots against receivers who can separate, and the results could turn into easy first downs.
At safety, though, the picture changes. Conner has been a strong run defender and a physical presence near the box, and Mathieu believes that if he’s allowed to stay in that lane, he can be much more than a useful piece. The Chiefs are asking for exactly that after Bryan Cook left in free agency for the Cincinnati Bengals, leaving a secondary that was already short on dependable talent.
Mathieu’s view is simple: the positional shift Chiefs fans have wanted is finally happening, and it could unlock Conner in a real way. For a player entering a contract year, the timing is obvious. For Kansas City, the need is even clearer.
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