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.
Beter get it done to sign o-line
I thought he was a safety
That’s why he’s rated so low on the cornerback rankings.