Tyrann Mathieu wins AFC defensive player of the month for December

Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu has been named the AFC’s defensive player of the month for December, per a tweet from the NFL’s official Twitter account.

Mathieu registered 25 tackles, six passes defensed, two interceptions and one sack during a 5-0 stretch in which the Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers.

Mathieu’s interception on the Raiders’ first drive set the tone for a game in which the Chiefs won 40-9. Mathieu also picked off Philip Rivers last Sunday right before the end of the second quarter, solidifying the Chiefs’ 10-7 lead at halftime in a game they won 31-21. Mathieu also had an outstanding game against the Denver Broncos.

This is the second time Mathieu has won the award in his seven-year career. The last time was November 2015, when he was a member of the Arizona Cardinals. Mathieu is the first Chiefs player to win the award since Patrick Mahomes in September and the first Chiefs defensive player since Chris Jones in November 2018.

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman took to Twitter to congratulate Mathieu on Thursday morning.

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Mathieu last spoke to the media on December 26.