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.

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.

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.

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.

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 17: Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) walks off the field after the Kansas City Chiefs versus Washington Football Team National Football League game at FedEx Field on October 17, 2021 in Landover, MD. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 17: Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) walks off the field after the Kansas City Chiefs versus Washington Football Team National Football League game at FedEx Field on October 17, 2021 in Landover, MD. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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