Pro Bowl Safety Tyrann Mathieu Picks the Saints as His New Destination

Tyrann Mathieu with the Houston Texans in 2018
Tyrann Mathieu with the Houston Texans in 2018. Photo by Trask Smith/CSM/REX/Shutterstock (10011718k)

After failing to address the safety position in the 2022 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints decided to circle back to free agency for secondary additions. According to multiple reports, the Saints have managed to get a deal done with Pro Bowler Tyrann Mathieu.

The terms of the deal are yet to be ironed out, but Mathieu is expected to be officially introduced to the Saints’ fans by the end of the week. It will be a homecoming for the 29-year-old player, who was born and raised in New Orleans and played college ball for the nearby Louisiana State University (LSU).

The Saints have already hosted Mathieu for a visit back in April but didn’t pull the trigger on signing him. However, once it became clear they won’t be able to find a quality safety in the draft, New Orleans acted quickly to get the three-time Pro Bowler back in the building. Mathieu reportedly had other suitors, including the Philadelphia Eagles, but no other team proved to be as serious as the Saints the other time around.

The move means that New Orleans will have two new starting safeties when the 2022 NFL season kicks off. The team previously acquired veteran free safety Marcus Maye, who inked a three-year deal. The duo of Mathieu and Maye will step in for retired Malcolm Jenkins and Marcus Williams, who left in free agency to sing with the Baltimore Ravens.

Tyrann Mathieu started his NFL career as Arizona Cardinals’ third-round pick in 2013. He spent five years with the Cardinals and one year with the Houston Texans before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the 2019 NFL season. Mathieu made two All-Pro teams with the Chiefs and won the Super Bowl LIV before leaving as a free agent in March.

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