Tyrann Mathieu remains focused on 2021 season — not contract extension

When Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu met with reporters on Thursday, he was asked about his since-deleted tweet that suggested he might not get a contract extension this offseason.

Unsurprisingly, Mathieu didn’t want to say much about the tweet. But later pressed on the specific question extending his current contract — which runs through the 2021 season — he said he was trying not to focus on it.

“The negotiation process, I think, is tough on anybody — especially a player,” said Mathieu. “But like I said, I try not to focus on it too much. I think I’m a fairly optimistic guy; I try my best to look at the bright side of the window.

“But this is my third franchise, so I understand the business. I’ve grown enough to understand it — and I think I’m mature enough to understand it.

“I’m also mature enough to understand that there’s still a lot of work to put in — that needs to be put in — and [I should] just kind of let go and handle everything else.”

When asked about a potential contract extension back on April 19, Mathieu said he wasn’t aware of any ongoing negotiations between his agent and the team — although just as on Thursday, he also said that he was trying “not to get caught up in it.”

Mathieu’s Thursday statement fell short of a denial that negotiations are underway — and while he continued to express optimism, he still sought to emphasize that it would ultimately be a business decision for both parties.

So we remain uncertain about the possibility of a contract extension for the three-time All-Pro. But considering that last year, Patrick Mahomes signed his contract extension on July 6, Chris Jones signed his new deal on July 14 and Travis Kelce signed his extension on August 13, there’s still plenty of time to get a deal done.

In the meantime — except for deleting an occasional tweet — Mathieu remains focused on preparing for the 2021 campaign.

“I don’t necessarily try to look four and five months down the road,” he said in April. “I just try and put in enough work today that things like that are going to take care of themselves.”