Feb. 22, 2026, 6:01 a.m. CT
The Kansas City Chiefs‘ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV forced an offseason change to improve the offensive line’s protection of Patrick Mahomes. The adjustment was witnessed firsthand by former safety Tyrann Mathieu, who believes the same standards should apply to the New England Patriots.
The three-time Pro Bowler spoke about the situation during a recent episode of his podcast ‘In the Bayou with Tyrann Mathieu’.
“New England should take sort of the Kansas City Chiefs approach. After we lost [Super Bowl LV]… the very next day, they got new offensive linemen,” said Mathieu, “You gotta be able to protect the product.”
Mathieu’s comments echo those of many who watched the Seattle Seahawks defense dominate the Patriots’ offensive line in Super Bowl LX. Left tackle Will Campbell was the target of much of the criticism, although he had an impressive season.
The Chiefs notably signed Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney, and Kyle Long after Super Bowl LV to vastly improve their offensive line for the following season. New England is expected to focus on Drake Maye’s protection during the offseason after he was sacked an NFL record 21 times during the 2025 postseason.
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