Once upon a time, safety Tyrann Mathieu and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. were teammates at LSU.
There’s a decent chance they will be again, as the Chiefs have emerged as the apparent favorite to land Beckham. But Mathieu told reporters on Thursday that he isn’t spending much time trying to bring the receiver to Kansas City.
“I don’t know if I’m necessarily campaigning but anytime you can add talent to the team that always benefits and helps the whole team,” Mathieu said, via Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com. “Obviously just from a personal perspective, just want him in the best situation possible going forward and hoping that whatever ends up for him, it can bring out the best in him.”
Mathieu told reporters he and Beckham communicate regularly but don’t often discuss football. He added that they have not talked about where Beckham could sign.
But Mathieu did note that during their shared time at LSU, he saw Beckham as the kind of player others would gravitate toward.
“First of all I think he’s an elite wide receiver, so I think all those want the football,” Mathieu said. “But outside of that he’s always been a standup guy, he’s always been a great teammate. I can remember instances back at LSU where he did a lot of the team bonding things, having guys over, working out with guys, staying late with guys after practice, so I think most of the people that know him and played with him I think we all see him as a pretty solid teammate.”
Mathieu and Beckham were teammates from 2011 to Mathieu’s dismissal from LSU’s program in 2012.
Aside from the Chiefs, Beckham’s other potential suitors are believed to be the Patriots, Saints, Seahawks, and Packers.