Tyrann Mathieu - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals Release Tyrann Mathieu

March 14th, 2018 at 12:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have released Tyrann Mathieu, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Cardinals asked Mathieu to accept a pay cut, but those talks did not result in a revised deal.

Had Mathieu remained on Arizona’s roster after today, he would have had a large chunk of his contract guaranteed. Unwilling to carry his $14.1MM cap hit in 2018, the Cardinals are releasing him in order to free up resources for free agency. The 25-year-old defender said he was willing to restructure his deal but balked at the notion of the pay cut.

The Cards are not making Mathieu a post-June 1 cut, instead opting to take on the $9.3MM dead-money hit all in 2018, per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).

“I’ve never made a secret that Tyrann has always had a special place in my heart and always will,” GM Steve Keim said. “While we all understand this is a part of the business, that certainly doesn’t make it any easier. We all wish Tyrann nothing but continued success in his career and beyond.”

Mathieu inked a five-year, $62.5MM extension with the Cardinals back in 2016. That deal came after an ACL tear ended his 2015 campaign early. In 2016, he suited up for just ten games. Last year, he played a full 16-game slate, but didn’t look like his usual self.

It wasn’t the best platform year for his free agency, but Mathieu will have a host of suitors due to his playmaking ability and versatility. The 25-year-old will join an impressive free agent safety class that also includes Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro, and Tyvon Branch, but it’s difficult to argue Mathieu won’t be a more desirable option than any of those defensive backs.

The Jets, for one, would have made sense as a speculative destination for Mathieu given the presence of former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, but New York likely isn’t interested, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Gang Green, of course, drafted safeties with each of their first two 2017 picks. For what it’s worth, the Giants also employ a former Arizona DC in James Bettcher.

Latest On Cardinals, Tyrann Mathieu

March 13th, 2018 at 2:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have asked Tyrann Mathieu to take a pay cut. The two sides have yet to agree to a renegotiated contract, but the two sides are “making positive strides” on that front, a source tells Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.

Mathieu will have a large chunk of his contract guaranteed if he remains on Arizona’s roster on Wednesday. In theory, the Cardinals could release the defensive back, but they would much prefer to keep him at a new deal that will lessen his $14.1MM blow against the cap in 2018.

In the summer of 2016, Mathieu inked a five-year, $62.5MM extension with the Cardinals. Thanks to injuries, he hasn’t quite lived up to that contract. Honey Badger saw an ACL tear end his 2015 season prematurely and he played in just ten games in 2016. He played a full 16-game slate in 2017, but he graded out as just the No. 61 cornerback in the league last year, per Pro Football Focus.

The Cardinals’ cap crunch hasn’t precluded them from spending elsewhere as they have agreed to sign quarterback Sam Bradford to a surprisingly large free agent deal.

Cards Ask Tyrann Mathieu To Take Pay Cut

March 8th, 2018 at 6:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyrann Mathieu has not lived up to the five-year, $62.5MM extension he signed with the Cardinals. And the team has now asked the former All-Pro to renegotiate his deal.

During a visit to NFL Network headquarters, Mathieu and his agent confirmed (via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com, on Twitter) he’s been asked to take a pay cut. This comes after the Cardinals explored trading Mathieu, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (via Twitter) this request was likely to mean a significant pay reduction based on what his role on Arizona’s new defense, which will be run by Al Holcomb. Mathieu played each of his five seasons in James Bettcher‘s scheme.

Mathieu said he would be open to a restructure, but an outright pay cut isn’t sitting well with him, per Rosenthal (on Twitter).

Mathieu is slated to count $14.1MM on the Cardinals’ 2018 payroll. The Cards were previously undecided on picking up the $5MM roster bonus due on March 14, and now it looks like they will do if the sixth-year defender accepts a pay decrease. He’s still owed $18.75MM in guarantees. The Cardinals cutting Mathieu would tag them with a $9.3MM dead-money hit.

An All-Pro safety and dynamic slot defender during the 2015 season, Mathieu has struggled to stay healthy during his career. He played in 10 games during the 2016 season, going down after an ACL tear ended his ’15 campaign. Mathieu also suffered a severe knee injury as a rookie. He bounced back to play 16 games last season, but he wasn’t in his best form. Categorizing the Honey Badger as a cornerback, Pro Football Focus slotted him as the No. 61 corner in 2017 in 1,055 snaps.

There’s a reasonable chance Mathieu balks here and becomes a free agent. Set to turn 26 in May, the LSU product would be in line to become a sought-after commodity on the open market and be one of the better members of a deep defensive back contingent set to be available.

NFC Notes: Saints, Mathieu, 49ers, Packers

March 3rd, 2018 at 11:19am CST by Ben Levine

The Saints may be in the market for some offensive skill players, but it sounds like they’re going to avoid one of the top trade options. Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com writes that the team will not make a trade for Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry.

The writer notes that the team expressed interest in the wideout during the combine this past week. Considering the Saints would have to give up assets in a trade and tolerate his franchise tag ($16MM), the team ultimately decided that it would cost too much to add a “luxury” piece to their core. The team is already rostering offensive playmakers like Michael Thomas, Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara and Ted Ginn Jr.. However, Katzenstein believes the Saints will ultimately be in the market for a free agent wide receiver or tight end.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora tweets that he’d be surprised if safety Tyrann Mathieu was back with the Cardinals next season. The 25-year-old had a tongue-in-cheek reply to the tweet, asking “anybody gonna tell me anything?” Mathieu started all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2017, finishing with 78 tackles, seven passes defended, and two interceptions. The safety’s cap hit in 2018 will exceed $14MM.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner has some additional details (via Twitter) on Garry Gilliam‘s new contract with the 49ers. In 2018, the offensive lineman will earn a $1.75MM base salary, along with a $400K roster bonus. Gilliam can also earn up to $500K in per-game bonuses and another $50K via a workout bonus, all leading to a $2.45MM cap hit. In 2019, the cap number jumps to $5.05MM, but only $1.5MM of his $4.5MM base salary is guaranteed for injury only.
Earlier this week, we learned that an arbitrator had ruled against the Packers in their effort to recoup a portion of Martellus Bennett‘s $6.3MM signing bonus. Writing for the team’s website, CEO Mark Murphy said the team plans on appealing the decision. “We think the decision was flawed and plan to appeal,” Murphy wrote. “The appeals go to a panel of three arbitrators.” The CEO told ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that the team “lost their bid to recoup signing bonus money in part because the Patriots claimed Bennett off waivers and therefore picked up his contract.”

Cardinals Undecided On Tyrann Mathieu’s 2018 Option

February 28th, 2018 at 3:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals are evaluating the contract status of defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, general manager Steve Keim told reporters today, but the Arizona decision-maker sounded “very non-committal” about picking up Mathieu’s 2018 option, tweets Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com.

Mathieu, 25, inked a five-year, $62.5MM extension with the Cardinals prior to the 2016 campaign. That deal, on its face, locked the former third-round pick in Arizona through 2021, but the deal contains a roster bonus that will determine Mathieu’s fate with the club. Mathieu will collect a $5MM bonus if he’s on the Arizona roster on March 14. Not only that, but Mathieu’s entire 2018 base salary ($5.75MM) and $8MM of his $10.75MM 2019 base salary would become fully guaranteed.

The Cardinals could release Mathieu before mid-March and not be forced to make those payments, but the club would still be on the hook for $9.3MM in dead money. Arizona would create $4.8MM in cap space by cutting Mathieu, but it’s possible the two sides could work out a pay reduction or contract restructuring, allowing Mathieu to stay in the desert while the Cardinals save cash and cap space.

Mathieu was a Pro Bowler and one of the NFL’s best defensive backs as recently as 2015, but he’s struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness over the past two seasons. Last year, Mathieu managed to start all 16 games, but only graded as the league’s No. 61 cornerback among 121 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Cardinals Place Tyrann Mathieu On IR

December 23rd, 2016 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

With two games to go, the Cardinals are shutting down their star safety. Tyrann Mathieu is being placed on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. In a related move, safety Trevon Hartfield has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.

Mathieu has been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury and he has been trying to avoid surgery. He also hasn’t completely recovered from the torn ACL that hampered him in 2015.

This hasn’t been a banner year for the player formerly known as the Honey Badger. Mathieu has appeared in only ten games this season thanks to injuries. In those games, he has 35 total tackles, one sack, and four passes defensed. The advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus have him ranked as just the No. 59 safety in the NFL with a 74.3 overall score, his worst-ever showing.

Mathieu is in the midst of a five-year, $62.5MM extension that he signed in August 2016. He’s under contract through 2021 and is currently the highest-paid safety in the NFL.

The 5-8-1 Cardinals are mathematically out of playoff contention. They wrap up the season with games against the Seahawks and Rams.

Cardinals Notes: Floyd, Mathieu, Arians, Wile

December 13th, 2016 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Any chance the Cardinals had at earning a postseason berth was likely destroyed on Sunday when Arizona fell to Miami on a last-second field goal, as FiveThirtyEight now gives the 5-7-1 Cards less than one percent chance of making the playoffs. With most of the focus in the desert turned to the offseason, let’s take a look at the latest out of Arizona…

The Cardinals are examining the contractual bargaining agreement to determine whether they can internally punish wide receiver Michael Floyd following his DUI arrest, head coach Bruce Arians told Alex Marvez on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Additionally, Arians said it’s possible the Floyd will simply be benched on Sunday against the Saints. Floyd is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, so these recent developments are the worst possible way for Floyd to finish the 2016 campaign.
Although a recent report indicated that he may need surgery, the Cardinals have their “fingers crossed” that defensive back Tyrann Mathieu can return to practice on Wednesday, according to Arians (Twitter link). Mathieu has been sidelined for four of Arizona’s past five games, and if he undergoes surgery, he’d presumably be shut down for the year. The Cards already placed two other critical defenders — linebacker Deone Bucannon and safety Tyvon Branch — on injured reserve yesterday.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Arians was adamant that the Cards would not make any coaching changes after the season, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Arians was specifically referring to special teams coordinator Amos Jones, per Urban, as Arizona has particularly struggled on teams this season. On the year, the Cardinals rank dead last in special teams DVOA, according to Football Outsiders.
The move to replace Drew Butler with fellow punter Matt Wile would have occurred last week, but Arizona wanted to ensure that Wile was a capable holder on field goal attempts, per Arians (Twitter link).

Tyrann Mathieu May Need Surgery

December 10th, 2016 at 7:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Set to miss a fourth game in five weeks because of a nagging shoulder injury, Tyrann Mathieu could be bound for the operating table again.

The Cardinals are contemplating surgery for their dynamic fourth-year defensive back, Bruce Arians said (via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic). A subluxation that is restricting Mathieu’s range of motion and the loss of strength in the shoulder hovers at the root of this issue. The league’s highest-paid safety has dealt with this problem since Week 8.

Arians did not think another surgery for the Honey Badger would be necessary yet, but the All-Pro defender who has already undergone two operations to repair ACL tears as an NFLer will miss the most games in any of his four seasons this year due to a less severe but clearly troubling ailment. The torn ACLs in each knee, along with this latest shoulder impediment, prompted a reporter to ask Arians if he’s concerned about one of his cornerstone players venturing down a Bob Sanders-esque path.

“Totally different players; maybe the same injury history,” Arians said. “But Bob was a box guy that would just knock your socks off all the time. His body couldn’t take his bravado. He was one of the best that has ever been. Ty plays the game a different way. His [injuries] have just been bad luck.”

Mathieu returned for the Cardinals’ Week 12 date against the Falcons, notching five tackles and his season’s first sack, but did not play last week against the Redskins.

The 24-year-old Mathieu signed a five-year, $62.5MM extension in August but could be in danger of missing the remainder of the season if the Cardinals opt to play it safe as their season careens further away from playoff contention. Arizona’s mediocre defense of its NFC West title leaves the team 1.5 games back of the second NFC wild-card spot, and if the Cards drift out of contention, it makes little sense to put Mathieu back out there when the current concern surrounding his condition is reinjury.

Cardinals Activate Tyvon Branch

December 2nd, 2016 at 4:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cardinals have activated safety Tyvon Branch from injured reserve, the club announced. He’ll play Sunday against the Redskins, tweets Darren Urban of the team’s website.

Branch, a former Raider and Chief who signed a two-year deal with Arizona in March, appeared in the Cardinals’ first five games this season, racking up three starts and 20 tackles. He then landed on injured reserve Oct. 4 with a groin issue, and the team designated him to return from IR on Nov. 23. He’ll now rejoin a 4-6-1 club that entered the season as a Super Bowl contender but now has little room for error as it clings to slim playoff hopes.

While Branch will return Sunday, fellow defensive back Tyrann Mathieu is unlikely to suit up because of a sore shoulder. The 2015 first-team All-Pro’s shoulder kept him out of two of the Cardinals’ games in November, though he did play in their 38-19 loss to the Falcons last Sunday.

NFC West Notes: Rams, Mathieu, Seahawks

November 21st, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Zachary Links

For months now, we have been hearing that the Rams are on the cusp of extending coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead. Lately, however, things have been quiet. Mike Florio of PFT reached out to Rams VP of football operations Kevin Demoff for comment and he said there were “no updates” to give for either of them.

Some people, according to Florio, believe that Fisher already has an extension in place but the team is waiting for the right time to announce it. Now 4-6 after losing to Miami, the Rams might want to wait a little longer.

Here’s more from around the NFC.

Cardinals GM Steve Keim thinks “there’s a good chance” safety Tyrann Mathieu plays Sunday in Atlanta (Twitter link via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com). Mathieu’s been out since October with a shoulder injury.
C.J. Prosise suffered a fractured scapula, and Pete Carroll said Monday it’s too early to tell if the rookie running back will be able to return this season, per Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. That malady sounding quite concerning, the Seahawks head coach did say Prosise won’t need surgery on his injured shoulder. A high-ankle sprain will sideline running back Troymaine Pope, leaving Thomas Rawls and Alex Collins as the healthy Seattle runners of the moment.
Caroll also said Sunday looms as a possible Michael Bennett return date, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. Bennett’s been out since late October with a knee injury, one that snapped a games-played streak that hit 74. The Seahawks recently discussed an extension with the vocal defensive end as well, and it looks like the surging team will have his services again soon. Bennett has three sacks this season, with Cliff Avril and Frank Clark combining for 17.5.
Before signing with the Seahawks as a UDFA this year, tackle George Fant nearly signed with the Chiefs, GM John Schneider said on his radio show (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times). Fant, 24, has proven to be another strong UDFA find for Seattle, appearing in eight games and making four starts this year.
It was confirmed today Eric Reid will miss the rest of the season with a biceps tear. The 49ers safety will head into 2017 with a fifth-year option year that could well be guaranteed due to Reid’s injury status.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report