Chiefs select Tyrann Mathieu as team MVP, Mecole Hardman as rookie of the year
Kansas City Chiefs starting safety Tyrann Mathieu and rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman were both recognized by their team for the impact they made during their championship season.
Mathieu, a seventh-year pro in his first season with the Chiefs, earned the team’s Derrick Thomas Most Valuable Player Award for the 2019 season. Hardman garnered the Mack Lee Hill Award as the club’s rookie of the year.
Last March, Mathieu signed a three-year deal worth $42 million after five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and one with the Houston Texans.
Mathieu served as the emotional leader of the defense, started every regular season and postseason game for the Chiefs and earned first-team AP All-Pro honors as a defensive back. He ranked third on the team with 75 tackles during the regular season and pulled in a team-high four interceptions along with 12 passes defensed.
Hardman, a second-round pick out of Georgia, finished the season with the fourth-most receiving yards on the team, 538, behind Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins.
Hardman started five regular season games and one playoff game. He made 26 receptions, including six touchdowns, for an average of 20.7 yards per catch during the regular season. He added four catches for 29 yards in the postseason.
