KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu earned dual honors on the Associated Press All-Pro team, earning a first-team selection as a defensive back and a second-team nod as safety.
Mathieu as one of four Chiefs to earn All-Pro honors. Joining him on the second team were tight end Travis Kelce, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and kick returner Mecole Hardman.
This marks the second-time Mathieu has earned All-Pro honors in his seven-year career. He also earned consensus all-first time honors in 2015 with Arizona.
The All-Pro honor comes after Mathieu was snubbed for the Pro Bow selections in December. Chiefs defensive coordinator recently said Mathieu quickly earned the respect of his teammates since arriving in Kansas City.
“I just think he's the glue,” Spagnuolo said. “He's the leader, he's that guy that can get in the huddle in practice and say we need to step it up. You need guys like that. That's stuff I value as a coordinator. It makes my job a lot easier.”
San Francisco tight end George Kittle received 33 votes in earning first-team honors, with Kelce receiving the other 17 votes cast. Kelce led all tight ends this season with 97 catches and 1,229 yards, making him the first tight end in league history with four-straight 1,000-yard seasons. It's the third-time Kelce earned All-Pro first team honors after making the list in 2016 and 2018.
Schwartz, who was once again over looked among Pro Bowl selections, earned AP All-Pro recognition for the fourth time. He also earned second-team honors in 2016 and 2017 and received first-team status last season. He's earned first- or second-team honors in all four seasons since signing with Kansas City as a free agent in 2016.
Hardman finished second in the voting for kick returner in earning four votes. Chicago's Cordarrelle Patterson earned first-team honors with 39 votes. Hardman also received a vote for punt returner. The last Chiefs player earning first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie came in 2016 when Tyreek Hill earned a spot on the team as a punt returner.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones narrowly missed earning All-Pro honors for a second-straight season. He finished fifth in the voting among defensive interior linemen. Defensive end Frank Clark and kicker Harrison Butker also received votes for the All-Pro teams.
