Tyrann Mathieu - Pro Football Rumors

Saints To Pursue Tyrann Mathieu

May 1st, 2022 at 1:12pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints did not select a safety during the 2022 draft, and as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports, they are expected to make an “aggressive push” to sign free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu. The club met with Mathieu — a New Orleans native and former LSU Tiger — in early April but elected to wait until after the draft to explore a contract in earnest.

New Orleans has already added Marcus Maye and Daniel Sorensen in free agency, but given Sorensen’s coverage limitations and Maye’s season-ending Achilles tear in 2021, there is still room for a player of Mathieu’s caliber. That is especially true in light of Marcus Williams‘ free agent defection to Baltimore and Malcolm Jenkins‘ retirement.

Mathieu, who will turn 30 later this month, has suited up for the Cardinals, Texans, and Chiefs in his NFL career. Each of his three years in Kansas City ended with Pro Bowl or First Team All-Pro honors, and he racked up 213 tackles, 13 interceptions, 27 passes defensed, and two defensive TDs during that time. He was instrumental to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV outfit and their 2021 AFC Championship.

Despite those contributions, the Chiefs decided against offering him a contract this offseason. That decision and Mathieu’s extended stay on the open market qualify as something of a surprise, though we do not know what type of money he is seeking. It’s also possible that he is not being valued as highly as his raw totals would suggest; in the 2020-21 campaigns, Pro Football Focus graded him as an average to slightly-above average defender, and an ever-increasing reliance on advanced metrics could be suppressing his market.

Nonetheless, his pedigree in terms of traditional statistical achievements, not to mention his positional versatility and leadership qualities, would seem to make him a valuable addition to any number of clubs. In addition to the Saints, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News believes the 49ers — who also came out of the draft without filling their safety need — could be in play (Twitter link). The Rams and Steelers were also said to be interested, though Pittsburgh’s recent safety additions would seem to foreclose the possibility of a Mathieu signing.

The Eagles may also loom as a potential landing spot. Mathieu met with Philadelphia shortly after his visit with the Saints.

Rams, Steelers Interested In Tyrann Mathieu

April 13th, 2022 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly a month into free agency, Tyrann Mathieu‘s market continues to move slowly. But the three-time All-Pro has now seen several suitors emerge since the calendar turned to April. Two more revealed themselves recently.

The Rams and Steelers are interested in the veteran cover man, who has already met with the Saints and Eagles. Mathieu, understandably, is also believed to be interested in joining the defending champions, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano said during a recent SportsCenter appearance (via 247sports.com). As of Wednesday, the Steelers hold just more than $13MM in cap space; the Rams sit at $7MM.

Mathieu (30 in May) and the Rams have been in contact recently, though Graziano noted a deal might not come together until after the draft. That post-draft juncture could become relevant. Shortly after the draft, free agents added no longer count toward the league’s compensatory formula. That early-May date annually triggers more free agency activity, with teams free to pursue players without additions affecting their 2023 draft ledgers.

The Steelers were connected to Mathieu in March, and interest remains, per Bob Labriola of the team’s website. It does not sound like Pittsburgh is willing to pay Mathieu at a rate similar to his most recent Kansas City deal (three years, $42MM), but the team has been unusually active on the market this year. Beyond Mitchell Trubisky, the Steelers added a few starters in Myles Jack, Levi Wallace and James Daniels. Four-year safety starter Terrell Edmunds remains unsigned. A Mathieu arrival would commence at an interesting point, with Minkah Fitzpatrick on the cusp of a monster extension.

Lucrative deals headline the Rams’ defensive depth chart, leading to another March role-player exodus. The Rams let Darious Williams, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Corbett walk in free agency before trading Robert Woods. They found room for Bobby Wagner, however. Mathieu, who was 3-for-3 in Pro Bowl nods as a Chief, would represent a fourth player with multiple All-Pro honors on Los Angeles’ defense. At safety, the Rams have their 2021 starters (Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp) under contract. Each is coming off a season-ending injury.

Chiefs Didn’t Offer Tyrann Mathieu A Contract

April 8th, 2022 at 9:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tyrann Mathieu has yet to sign with his next team, but a new detail has emerged regarding his exit from Kansas City. As Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star reports, the Chiefs didn’t offer him a new contract when his old one expired last month.

Instead, the team focused its attention on Justin Reid as a replacement. The former Texan signed a three-year, $31.5MM contract to take over the free safety spot. While Reid doesn’t have the pedigree of Mathieu, he is nearly five years younger. When asked about the team’s decision to move on, Mathieu said he it left him “heartbroken”.

“To be honest, if they would’ve offered me [Reid’s] deal, obviously I would’ve tried to negotiate, but if that’s where they drew their line in the sand, I probably would’ve took it” he added. “Agents are going to do their thing, but at the end of the day, it’s the player’s decision whether to sign it or not.”

After three seasons in Kansas City – which included two Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods, as well as a Super Bowl title – the 29-year-old is on the move for the third time in his career. He has met with the Saints and Eagles this week, but they aren’t expected to be the only teams vying for him. On a short-term deal in particular, the LSU product has a chance to earn close to the $14MM he averaged per year with the Chiefs.

Kansas City’s offseason has seen a number of notable moves. From the usage of the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., to the restructured contract of Frank Clark, to the Tyreek Hill trade, the team’s cap situation has changed significantly. It didn’t come as a complete surprise, fiscally speaking, that the former two moves took priority, but it is noteworthy nevertheless that the Chiefs apparently remained as steadfast in their decision to move on from Mathieu as they did.

Eagles Meet With S Tyrann Mathieu

April 7th, 2022 at 3:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyrann Mathieu‘s previous free agency bid led to a position-record offer from the Chiefs not long after the market opened. The All-Pro’s latest unattached stretch has lasted much longer, but teams are monitoring the nine-year veteran.

Mathieu visited the Saints this week, and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football notes the Eagles are believed to be interested as well (Twitter link). Mathieu went through a virtual meeting with the Eagles recently, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Eagles have re-signed Anthony Harris but have an opening alongside him at safety, a positioned Rodney McLeod manned for the past six years.

While the Eagles may have interest in bringing back McLeod, he is a free agent. Philadelphia saved on its second Harris contract, giving the ex-Vikings franchise player a one-year deal worth $2.5MM. While Mathieu will not set a safety AAV record with his latest free agency accord, he will cost considerably more than what it took for the Eagles to re-up Harris.

Joining the Chiefs after their woeful 2018 defensive season, Mathieu did plenty to reignite Kansas City’s defense under Steve Spagnuolo. The versatile defensive back earned All-Pro acclaim in two of his three Kansas City seasons. Set to turn 30 next month, the Honey Badger would certainly give the Eagles or Saints a considerable back-line upgrade. The Saints are looking to replace ex-Eagle Malcolm Jenkins, who retired last month. Other teams will likely be connected to the three-time All-Pro as well, which would stand to up his price.

Tyrann Mathieu To Visit Saints

April 5th, 2022 at 9:47am CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top free agents left on the market is making his first visit. Safety Tyrann Mathieu will meet with the Saints, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

The fact that Mathieu is sitting down with the Saints comes as little surprise. He is a native of New Orleans, and played for LSU in college. The team also finds itself undergoing change at the safety position, with Marcus Williams signing in Baltimore and Malcolm Jenkins retiring. In response, the Saints have added Marcus Maye, but they still have a need on the back end.

Mathieu, 29, maintained his high level of play during his three years in Kansas City. He made 213 tackles with the Chiefs, adding 13 interceptions. His time there also saw him win his lone Super Bowl title, and add to his Pro Bowl and All-Pro totals in each campaign. His pedigree in terms of statistical achievements, not to mention his positional versatility and leadership qualities, would make him a sizeable addition to New Orleans or any other interested team.

Rapoport adds that there is “nothing imminent” at this point with respect to any contract offers from the Saints. New Orleans is in an unusually flexible position from a salary cap perspective, though, so they should be able to afford Mathieu on a short- or medium-term deal. His addition, if it were to take place, would represent not only a homecoming and a significant need being filled by the Saints, but it would also remove one of the biggest names from the list of those still available.

Dolphins Not Pursuing Tyrann Mathieu

March 30th, 2022 at 1:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins have been in plenty of headlines this offseason, making numerous additions to their roster. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, however, they are not in the market for one of the top remaining free agents, safety Tyrann Mathieu (Twitter link).

As Jackson notes, general manager Chris Grier stated simply that the Dolphins are “good at safety”. The top of the current depth chart at the position includes the likes of Brandon Jones, Eric Rowe and Jevon Holland. None of those three are older than 29, and they each contributed to the teams’ relative success on defense in 2021 (ranking mid-pack in most categories, as opposed to the offense’s overall struggles).

While Mathieu – a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team – carries more pedigree and experience than any of Miami’s in-house options, the team is remaining committed to the aforementioned trio. The 29-year-old maintained his high level of play during three seasons in Kansas City, posting 213 tackles and 13 interceptions. Other coveted traits, such as his positional versatility and leadership, were also on display throughout that time.

However, the former Cardinal and Texan has seen the safety market essentially dry up in recent weeks. From the high-priced retentions of Jessie Bates and Quandre Diggs, to the big-money deal given to Marcus Williams, to Mathieu himself being replaced in Kansas City by Justin Reid, not many teams still have a glaring need at the position. That could lead to a less lucrative new deal for Mathieu, who averaged $14MM per year with the Chiefs.

The Dolphins have already made hefty financial commitments to two of their most recent additions. After signing left tackle Terron Armstead and trading for Tyreek Hill, Miami would likely be hard-pressed to afford Mathieu even if he was a target. Regardless, he will need to look elsewhere to find his next home in the NFL.

Latest On Steelers’ Safety Search

March 25th, 2022 at 1:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2021 offseason has seen the Steelers make number of changes, most notably at the quarterback position. Another area of the roster which has become a priority, though, is safety. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports, the team has a number of options at the position.

Fowler notes the connection some have made between the Steelers and the top remaining option at safety, Tyrann Mathieu. Given his pedigree and versatility – not to mention the unusually-large amount of financial flexibility Pittsburgh has this offseason – a deal between the two sides would make a good deal of sense. However, Fowler cautions that he is unsure how “real” that connection actually is.

That could lead the Steelers to a familiar face at the position. Fowler states that “a reunion is not off the table” between the team and Terrell Edmunds. The 25-year-old started 60 of his 64 games with Pittsburgh, racking up 340 tackles and five interceptions. With fellow safety Minkah Fitzpatrick only under contract for one more year, bringing back Edmunds on a short-term deal would at least provide continuity at the position for 2022.

Lastly, Fowler names Damontae Kazee as another noteworthy option. The 28-year-old spent last season in Dallas after four in Atlanta. For his career, he has totalled 12 interceptions (including a league-leading seven in 2018) and 7 pass deflections. Fowler reports that the Steelers “have him on their radar”.

Pittsburgh currently has just under $16MM in cap space; fitting in any of the three players named above should be relatively straightforward, then. Whether the team decides to add one of them, or go in another direction, could go a long way to helping their defense rebound from an overall disappointing performance in 2021.

Chiefs To Sign S Justin Reid

March 14th, 2022 at 9:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Justin Reid is leaving Houston. The veteran safety is signing with the Chiefs, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a three-year deal worth $31.5MM, including $20MM in guaranteed money (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).

The younger brother of Eric Reid, Justin Reid was a third-round pick out of Stanford in 2018. He spent his entire four year career with the Texans, snagging seven interceptions and collecting 23 passes defended. This included a 2021 campaign where Reid started all 13 games and collected 66 tackles and two picks.

Both Reid and the Texans were interested in a reunion, but it sounds like Reid may have ultimately priced himself out of Houston. We heard previously that the market for Reid could be so robust that it’d be “financially inadvisable” for the player to stick around Houston, indicating that the Texans had a limit to what they’d offer.

In addition to the Texans, the Bears, Eagles, and Ravens were mentioned as potential suitors. Instead, the 25-year-old will be heading to one of the top teams in the AFC. This move would seemingly confirm that Tyrann Mathieu will indeed be playing elsewhere in 2022.

Saints Interested In Tyrann Mathieu

March 8th, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are interested in signing Tyrann Mathieu, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Furthermore, the feeling is mutual for the former LSU star.

Mathieu, 30 in May, is on course for free agency after his three-year, $42MM deal officially wraps. The nine-year vet has spend the last three seasons helping to bolster a once bottom-tier defense and, even though he’s a little older, he should be in line for another massive contract.

The Saints’ interest in Mathieu is understandable – they can use the help in their secondary and it’s not every day that a three-time first-team All-Pro becomes available. Meanwhile, the incumbent Chiefs seem ready to put their resources into other areas, especially given Juan Thornhill‘s emergence at safety.

Mathieu finished the regular season with 76 tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions, and six pass deflections last season. He also notched a pick six against the Ravens for the third defensive touchdown of his career. The Ravens — Wilson notes — would also love to have Mathieu, though he doesn’t appear to be a high priority for them.

AFC West Notes: Mathieu, Broncos, Raiders

March 7th, 2022 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

As expected, the Chiefs prioritized Orlando Brown Jr. as their top free agent. Kansas City tagged its left tackle, which will likely lead Tyrann Mathieu to free agency. It is not a lock Mathieu departs Missouri; the Chiefs met with his camp at the Combine. But the All-Pro safety is expected to test the market, Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Mathieu will turn 30 this offseason, but he had a transformative effect on a Chiefs defense that was one of the NFL’s worst before his 2019 signing. The nine-year veteran should do very well for himself on the market. Mathieu’s Chiefs tenure re-established his value, with it coming after the Cardinals cut bait on his extension in 2018. The Honey Badger, who came to Kansas City after playing on a one-year deal in Houston in 2018, made two All-Pro teams on his three-year, $42MM Chiefs contract. Mathieu joins Marcus Williams and Quandre Diggs as the top safeties available. The Bengals tagged Jessie Bates on Monday, keeping him off the market.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

Brown will not sign his franchise tender until he decides on representation, and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets the four-year veteran is considering acting as his own agent. This should not be too surprising, given Brown’s quest to move away from right tackle and establish himself as a high-end left tackle. Brown will earn $16.662MM on the tag this season, unless he and the Chiefs agree to an extension by July 15. A Brown re-up would help the Chiefs on the cap front. While moves can be made, including another adjustment to Patrick Mahomes‘ team-friendly contract, the Chiefs are $5MM over the cap after Brown’s tag.
A Broncos–Aaron Rodgers trade would be quite costly, though Denver’s high volume of post-Peyton Manning quarterbacks does well to convey the team’s desperation here. A Denver deal for Rodgers would cost the team at least two first-round picks and a Pro Bowl-caliber player on a manageable contract, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes, adding that the Broncos should be prepared to give Rodgers a record-breaking extension like the Packers are. The Broncos should also be expected to include a second-round pick, Mike Klis of 9News writes. The Broncos have Jerry Jeudy and Bradley Chubb as potential trade chips in this scenario, while productive wideout Tim Patrick is tethered to a $10MM-per-year extension. Denver holds four Day 2 picks this year (two seconds, two thirds), the extra two coming by way of its Von Miller trade. Miller is on the radar to rejoin the team as a free agent.
With Justin Herbert tied to his rookie deal through at least 2022, the Chargers have an opportunity this offseason. They are a team to watch for a splashy cornerback addition, with Garafolo tweeting they could be in the mix for J.C. Jackson or Stephon Gilmore. The Patriots may actually be ready to let Jackson hit the market, and Rapoport notes (video link) Gilmore should be expected to test free agency after playing out his Patriots-constructed contract. The Panthers would still like to retain Gilmore, but it will be costly. Gilmore will turn 32 in September.
Ex-Josh McDaniels Patriots coworker Jerry Schuplinski is now on the Raiders‘ staff as a senior offensive assistant. A Pats staffer from 2013-18, Schuplinski was the Giants’ QBs coach the past two seasons. The Raiders have also hired ex-Jaguars DBs coach Chris Ash to the same position, added ex-Packers special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton as their assistant ST coach and hired Cameron Clemmons as their assistant O-line coach. Additionally, Las Vegas is keeping Jon Gruden‘s son, Deuce, on staff as a strength and conditioning assistant.