Saints security Tyrann Mathieu introduced his retirement on social media (through NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport), ending the Honey Badger’s sterling 12-year profession.
Saints common supervisor Mickey Loomis stated that the staff was knowledgeable of Mathieu’s determination prematurely, based on Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Soccer, but it surely nonetheless got here as considerably of a shock. It additionally leaves the staff with out their beginning security for each sport for the final three years with six weeks to go till the common season.
Loomis indicated that the Saints will discover including a security, per NFL Community’s Tom Pelissero, however they might have already got Mathieu’s substitute on the roster. It received’t be veteran offseason signing Justin Reid, as he was already anticipated to begin this yr. As a substitute, 2023 fifth-rounder Jordan Howden jumps out because the most definitely candidate. Although he has solely logged 11 profession begins, Howden performed just below 50% of the Saints’ defensive snaps over the past two years, primarily as a free security. That have ought to put him in a powerful place to begin reverse Reid, although veterans J.T. Grey and Terrell Burgess may also be within the combine. A number of free brokers safeties are additionally out there, together with former Saint Marcus Maye.
The Saints additionally drafted Virginia security Jonas Sanker within the third spherical, an indication that they consider he can develop into an NFL starter. He’ll doubtless have an opportunity to compete for the beginning job, however rookie safeties — even ones drafted on Day 2 — are hardly ever capable of catch as much as NFL pace and begin immediately.
Mathieu, in the meantime, might be having fun with retirement after 12 years, 180 appearances, 171 begins, and greater than 11,000 snaps within the NFL. Regardless of a superb faculty profession at LSU, Mathieu fell to the third spherical within the 2013 draft attributable to dimension considerations. The Cardinals snagged him with the 69th total decide, and he went on to complete fourth in Defensive Rookie of the 12 months voting. Mathieu then spent the subsequent decade as probably the greatest safeties within the league, incomes three Professional Bowl nods and three first-team All-Professional choices. He additionally performed a key function on the Chiefs’ 2019 Tremendous Bowl-winning squad and was later named to the Corridor of Fame All-2010s Workforce. He retires simply shy of $100M in profession earnings, per OverTheCap, although that will change relying on how the Saints financially deal with his retirement.
