Kansas City Chiefs star Tyrann Mathieu is a given at safety. But does Sorensen return?
With superstar Tyrann Mathieu leading the way, the Chiefs got the most out of their versatile safeties group in 2020.
Mathieu notched a second straight first-team All-Pro selection and continued to be everything the Chiefs hoped for when they signed him to a three-year deal in 2019.
So Mathieu is a given to play a key role again in 2021. But what about Daniel Sorensen and some of his supporting cast? It’s possible that not everyone who contributed in 2020 will be around for an encore this fall.
As the Chiefs turn attention to the business side of football before the start of the NFL’s new calendar year on March 17, we’re evaluating each of the team’s position groups. The Star previously looked at the quarterbacks, offensive line, tight ends, wide receivers, defensive line, linebackers and cornerbacks.
Here is our analysis of the Chiefs’ safeties.
2020 FINAL ROSTER: Tyrann Mathieu, Juan Thornhill, Daniel Sorensen, Armani Watts
INJURED RESERVE: None
2021 FREE AGENTS: Sorensen
POSITION REVIEW
A clear leader on and off the field, Mathieu commanded the back end of coverage and recorded a team-high six interceptions in the regular season, including picks in three straight games in Weeks 11-13.
He returned an interception for a touchdown in Week 4, and his nine passed defensed tied cornerback Bashaud Breeland for the team lead.
The veteran displayed his durability, starting 15 games and playing on 100 percent of the team’s overall defensive snaps in 12 of those matchups. The Chiefs rested him in the regular-season finale in advance of the postseason, and Mathieu still finished the regular season with 63 tackles on 979 snaps (91 percent of the Chiefs’ total).
Thornhill experienced a slow start to the season as he continued to recover from an ACL injury suffered in the final regular-season game of 2019, prompting the Chiefs to go easier with him as the season progressed.
Enter Sorensen, who stepped up and started 10 straight games from Weeks 6-15 and produced a team-high 91 tackles on 879 defensive snaps. Sorensen played 100 percent of the defensive snaps from Weeks 9-15 before resting in the season finale. And he remained an essential contributor on special teams, where he recorded 170 snaps.
Sorensen finished the regular season with three interceptions, including a pick-6, and five passes defensed.
As for Thornhill, the second-year pro admitted he eventually felt comfortable with his surgically repaired knee in the second half of the season. He finished the 2020 campaign appearing in 16 games with eight starts, totaling 41 tackles and three passes defensed on 762 defensive snaps (71 percent).
Watts, in his third season, appeared in all 16 games and started the season finale with most Chiefs starters and key contributors resting. Of his 15 total tackles for the 2020 season, six came in Week 17.
Despite the limited defensive snaps in 2020 — Watts totaled 101, or just 9 percent — he remained a primary contributor on special teams, where he logged 356 snaps (81 percent).
Tedric Thompson joined the Chiefs during training camp and appeared in eight games as a backup before being released in late November.
LOOKING AHEAD
The future of the Chiefs’ safety group depends on Mathieu and Thornhill, who should be back to his rookie form as he enters the 2021 season fully healthy.
But there is something to consider: Mathieu enters the final year of his contract and will count for $19.7 million against the salary cap. And the cap-strapped Chiefs currently project as being $20-plus million over the cap.
The Chiefs should be able to get creative in order to gain cap relief while keeping the three-time All-Pro safety in Kansas City for the foreseeable future with an extension.
And it appears that taking care of Mathieu sooner rather than later is a priority as the start of the NFL’s new calendar year looms on March 17.
“We’ll have some work to do and to get with him and his agents, but enough can’t be said about Tyrann and his importance to this team both on the field and in the locker room,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said recently. “He’s proven to be not just a great player but a great leader and a great person to have developing the young guys and out in the community.
“So, we’ll certainly go to work with him and his agents and see what we can get done, but needless to say that we hope he’s here with this organization for years to come.”
Watts has one year remaining on his rookie contract, while the Chiefs signed Rodney Clemons, who spent time on their practice squad in 2020, to a reserve/future deal.
This is all a long way of saying it still makes sense for the Chiefs to add depth and competition to this position group either through the draft and/or free agency.
ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK?
Sorensen turned 31 on March 5, but there’s no arguing what he means to the Chiefs’ defense.
The veteran safety’s versatility to play as a hybrid linebacker, and his knack of making clutch plays, can’t be overstated. Simply put, Sorensen has proven his worth and lived up to his nickname of “Dirty Dan” since joining the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of BYU in 2014.
The big question here is how much it will cost to bring back Sorensen, who previously signed a four-year, $16 million contract extension in 2017.
It remains to be seen whether he might be able to command a high-value contract on the open market, but the Chiefs would be wise to retain his services if a deal can be reached.
