Chiefs' Tyrann Mathieu Owns up to Holding Back on Hitting Texans Deshaun Watson: 'The Game Was Over'

Sunday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans during a wild 51-31 playoff [...]

Sunday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans during a wild 51-31 playoff battle. Safety Tyrann Mathieu, known as the Honey Badger, drew some criticism, as well as praise, from users on Twitter after he stopped short of hitting quarterback Deshaun Watson. Mathieu has since fired back, explaining why he didn't feel the need to use extra force.

"The game was over. Yeah that's my boy , but I'm not fake tough, I don't have to hit you to make me feel like imma big beast," Mathieu wrote on Sunday. "This is football, but every act isn't violent."

He ran in untouched from the right side of the Texans' line with every intention of tackling Watson and stopping a drive early. However, the quarterback got the pass away, so Mathieu simply stopped after a mild collision.

The pair spent one season together in 2018 after Mathieu joined the Texans on a one-year free-agent deal. He had previously spent his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals but was in search of a new home. Houston provided this, along with an opportunity for Mathieu to show that he is one of the league's better players.

Following a season in which he gained many fans in Texas, Mathieu signed a lucrative deal with the Kansas City Chiefs worth $42 million and helped transform this defense. He played a critical role during Sunday's playoff game, registering three tackles and breaking up a pass to end a Texans drive.

He may not be a member of the Texans anymore, but that does not mean that Mathieu holds any ill will toward his former teammates. He has no desire to hit Watson or the other players after the play is over, and he even went out of his way to compliment the third-year quarterback during an on-field interaction.

Other players may have taken the unnecessary shot at Watson to prove that they are the "tough guy," but Mathieu has nothing else to prove. He's been one of the league's more popular players since being drafted in 69th overall by the Cardinals, and there are no questions about his toughness or ability to make a play when it truly matters. He does not have to go out of his way to prove a point.

(Photo Credit: Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

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