Kansas City Chiefs S Tyrann Mathieu hasn’t had the best longevity in his football homes.

It is not for a lack of desire for the safety of the veteran, but past circumstances have pushed Mathieu to places before he intends to leave them. He was fired from the LSU program, entering the NFL Draft earlier than he perhaps had expected. He signed a five-year contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals in 2016, but he was released by the team two seasons later ahead of the 2018 NFL season.

When asked if it was fair to say that he had never had a football home like he did in Kansas City with the Chiefs, Mathieu agreed with the sentiment.

“Yeah, I mean, that’s right,” Mathieu told reporters on Wednesday. “In this league, all you can really do is try to do your best. You know, really show people who you are. People decide to keep you and it’s really their decision, but it won’t change what I do or how I do it.

Mathieu is only in his third season with Kansas City and the last year of his current contract. Both sides have made it clear that they would like to strike a deal, but Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach says he will have to wait until after the 2021 NFL season.

One of the reasons Mathieu is so convinced that Kansas City is his footballing hotbed for the future is to win Super Bowl LIV in 2019.

“I think, you know, because we won a championship,” Mathieu said with a smile. “I think this team will be really hard to forget. Many of these players will be hard to forget. We feel like at home.

Beyond football, Mathieu’s family began to settle in Kansas City. His fiancee, Sydni Russell, has just opened her second Jill Marie Baby store in the Plaza. The first location opened in May 2021.

I am so proud of my lady! I AM SO PROUD !!! https://t.co/RQmm4JPuhy

– Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) December 4, 2021

“I think, apart from myself, of my fiancée (Sydni Russell) and all that she was able to accomplish,” Mathieu said. “She was really able to create her own identity. This place really gave me not only a chance to become a champion, but like I said, my fiancee too. Yeah, it was nice, to say the least.

Then, of course, there is the impact Mathieu has as a leader on the football field and as a role model within the community. These two qualities were recently exemplified by his nomination for the 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

It’s unclear what the future holds for Mathieu, but Kansas City has clearly become his home and it’s better for it.