Report: Tyrann Mathieu to sign 3-year, $33M deal with Saints
After a disappointing finish to the 2021 season, safety Tyrann Mathieu is trying his luck with a new team.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Mathieu is expected to sign a contract with the New Orleans Saints.
The #Saints are making a key post-draft addition, as they’re expected to sign All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu, sources say. A long-awaited signing that should be finalized in the coming days, the Honey Badger lands in a perfect spot.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 2, 2022
According to Rapoport, Mathieu visited the Saints but also had a Zoom call with the Philadelphia Eagles. But with Mathieu being from New Orleans, the opportunity to go home was likely too attractive to resist. Rapoport also tweeted that this move was essentially an open secret, with Saints GM Mickey Loomis even referencing it after the draft.
#Saints GM Mickey Loomis tipped his hand post-draft, saying there was still one need and joking, "You guys can guess that. You probably know it already.” He was right. https://t.co/wi1yZ5dupA
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 2, 2022
Later on Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Mathieu's contract with the Saints will be for three years and $33 million, though it still needs to be finalized and signed.
Deal is now in place: Saints and Tyrann Mathieu officially reached agreement on a three-year, $33 million contract, including $18 million fully guaranteed, per sources. Language still needs to be finalized and the deal signed. But Mathieu is returning home to New Orleans.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 2, 2022
Mathieu, who turns 30 in May, had 76 combined tackles and three interceptions last season for the Kansas City Chiefs, who he's been with since 2019. He's a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-team All-Pro who won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2020. Prior to his stint in Kansas City, he spent a year with the Houston Texans. But Mathieu has spent the bulk of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, who drafted him in the third round back in 2013.
Mathieu made it clear over the final months of the 2021 season that he wanted to stay with the Chiefs, but the feeling wasn't mutual. The Chiefs loudly announced they were moving on from Mathieu when free agency started on Monday. They signed Mathieu's ostensible replacement, safety Justin Reid, to a three-year deal worth over $30 million. Reid is just 25 while Mathieu is a few months shy of 30, which is one of the reasons the Chiefs may have been ready to move on.
According to Rapoport, Mathieu's contract is expected to be finalized in the coming days.