Tyrann Mathieu - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins Not Pursuing Tyrann Mathieu

March 30th, 2022 at 1:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins have been in plenty of headlines this offseason, making numerous additions to their roster. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, however, they are not in the market for one of the top remaining free agents, safety Tyrann Mathieu (Twitter link).

As Jackson notes, general manager Chris Grier stated simply that the Dolphins are “good at safety”. The top of the current depth chart at the position includes the likes of Brandon Jones, Eric Rowe and Jevon Holland. None of those three are older than 29, and they each contributed to the teams’ relative success on defense in 2021 (ranking mid-pack in most categories, as opposed to the offense’s overall struggles).

While Mathieu – a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team – carries more pedigree and experience than any of Miami’s in-house options, the team is remaining committed to the aforementioned trio. The 29-year-old maintained his high level of play during three seasons in Kansas City, posting 213 tackles and 13 interceptions. Other coveted traits, such as his positional versatility and leadership, were also on display throughout that time.

However, the former Cardinal and Texan has seen the safety market essentially dry up in recent weeks. From the high-priced retentions of Jessie Bates and Quandre Diggs, to the big-money deal given to Marcus Williams, to Mathieu himself being replaced in Kansas City by Justin Reid, not many teams still have a glaring need at the position. That could lead to a less lucrative new deal for Mathieu, who averaged $14MM per year with the Chiefs.

The Dolphins have already made hefty financial commitments to two of their most recent additions. After signing left tackle Terron Armstead and trading for Tyreek Hill, Miami would likely be hard-pressed to afford Mathieu even if he was a target. Regardless, he will need to look elsewhere to find his next home in the NFL.

Latest On Steelers’ Safety Search

March 25th, 2022 at 1:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2021 offseason has seen the Steelers make number of changes, most notably at the quarterback position. Another area of the roster which has become a priority, though, is safety. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports, the team has a number of options at the position.

Fowler notes the connection some have made between the Steelers and the top remaining option at safety, Tyrann Mathieu. Given his pedigree and versatility – not to mention the unusually-large amount of financial flexibility Pittsburgh has this offseason – a deal between the two sides would make a good deal of sense. However, Fowler cautions that he is unsure how “real” that connection actually is.

That could lead the Steelers to a familiar face at the position. Fowler states that “a reunion is not off the table” between the team and Terrell Edmunds. The 25-year-old started 60 of his 64 games with Pittsburgh, racking up 340 tackles and five interceptions. With fellow safety Minkah Fitzpatrick only under contract for one more year, bringing back Edmunds on a short-term deal would at least provide continuity at the position for 2022.

Lastly, Fowler names Damontae Kazee as another noteworthy option. The 28-year-old spent last season in Dallas after four in Atlanta. For his career, he has totalled 12 interceptions (including a league-leading seven in 2018) and 7 pass deflections. Fowler reports that the Steelers “have him on their radar”.

Pittsburgh currently has just under $16MM in cap space; fitting in any of the three players named above should be relatively straightforward, then. Whether the team decides to add one of them, or go in another direction, could go a long way to helping their defense rebound from an overall disappointing performance in 2021.

Chiefs To Sign S Justin Reid

March 14th, 2022 at 9:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Justin Reid is leaving Houston. The veteran safety is signing with the Chiefs, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a three-year deal worth $31.5MM, including $20MM in guaranteed money (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).

The younger brother of Eric Reid, Justin Reid was a third-round pick out of Stanford in 2018. He spent his entire four year career with the Texans, snagging seven interceptions and collecting 23 passes defended. This included a 2021 campaign where Reid started all 13 games and collected 66 tackles and two picks.

Both Reid and the Texans were interested in a reunion, but it sounds like Reid may have ultimately priced himself out of Houston. We heard previously that the market for Reid could be so robust that it’d be “financially inadvisable” for the player to stick around Houston, indicating that the Texans had a limit to what they’d offer.

In addition to the Texans, the Bears, Eagles, and Ravens were mentioned as potential suitors. Instead, the 25-year-old will be heading to one of the top teams in the AFC. This move would seemingly confirm that Tyrann Mathieu will indeed be playing elsewhere in 2022.

Saints Interested In Tyrann Mathieu

March 8th, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are interested in signing Tyrann Mathieu, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Furthermore, the feeling is mutual for the former LSU star.

Mathieu, 30 in May, is on course for free agency after his three-year, $42MM deal officially wraps. The nine-year vet has spend the last three seasons helping to bolster a once bottom-tier defense and, even though he’s a little older, he should be in line for another massive contract.

The Saints’ interest in Mathieu is understandable – they can use the help in their secondary and it’s not every day that a three-time first-team All-Pro becomes available. Meanwhile, the incumbent Chiefs seem ready to put their resources into other areas, especially given Juan Thornhill‘s emergence at safety.

Mathieu finished the regular season with 76 tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions, and six pass deflections last season. He also notched a pick six against the Ravens for the third defensive touchdown of his career. The Ravens — Wilson notes — would also love to have Mathieu, though he doesn’t appear to be a high priority for them.

AFC West Notes: Mathieu, Broncos, Raiders

March 7th, 2022 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

As expected, the Chiefs prioritized Orlando Brown Jr. as their top free agent. Kansas City tagged its left tackle, which will likely lead Tyrann Mathieu to free agency. It is not a lock Mathieu departs Missouri; the Chiefs met with his camp at the Combine. But the All-Pro safety is expected to test the market, Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Mathieu will turn 30 this offseason, but he had a transformative effect on a Chiefs defense that was one of the NFL’s worst before his 2019 signing. The nine-year veteran should do very well for himself on the market. Mathieu’s Chiefs tenure re-established his value, with it coming after the Cardinals cut bait on his extension in 2018. The Honey Badger, who came to Kansas City after playing on a one-year deal in Houston in 2018, made two All-Pro teams on his three-year, $42MM Chiefs contract. Mathieu joins Marcus Williams and Quandre Diggs as the top safeties available. The Bengals tagged Jessie Bates on Monday, keeping him off the market.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

Brown will not sign his franchise tender until he decides on representation, and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets the four-year veteran is considering acting as his own agent. This should not be too surprising, given Brown’s quest to move away from right tackle and establish himself as a high-end left tackle. Brown will earn $16.662MM on the tag this season, unless he and the Chiefs agree to an extension by July 15. A Brown re-up would help the Chiefs on the cap front. While moves can be made, including another adjustment to Patrick Mahomes‘ team-friendly contract, the Chiefs are $5MM over the cap after Brown’s tag.
A Broncos–Aaron Rodgers trade would be quite costly, though Denver’s high volume of post-Peyton Manning quarterbacks does well to convey the team’s desperation here. A Denver deal for Rodgers would cost the team at least two first-round picks and a Pro Bowl-caliber player on a manageable contract, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes, adding that the Broncos should be prepared to give Rodgers a record-breaking extension like the Packers are. The Broncos should also be expected to include a second-round pick, Mike Klis of 9News writes. The Broncos have Jerry Jeudy and Bradley Chubb as potential trade chips in this scenario, while productive wideout Tim Patrick is tethered to a $10MM-per-year extension. Denver holds four Day 2 picks this year (two seconds, two thirds), the extra two coming by way of its Von Miller trade. Miller is on the radar to rejoin the team as a free agent.
With Justin Herbert tied to his rookie deal through at least 2022, the Chargers have an opportunity this offseason. They are a team to watch for a splashy cornerback addition, with Garafolo tweeting they could be in the mix for J.C. Jackson or Stephon Gilmore. The Patriots may actually be ready to let Jackson hit the market, and Rapoport notes (video link) Gilmore should be expected to test free agency after playing out his Patriots-constructed contract. The Panthers would still like to retain Gilmore, but it will be costly. Gilmore will turn 32 in September.
Ex-Josh McDaniels Patriots coworker Jerry Schuplinski is now on the Raiders‘ staff as a senior offensive assistant. A Pats staffer from 2013-18, Schuplinski was the Giants’ QBs coach the past two seasons. The Raiders have also hired ex-Jaguars DBs coach Chris Ash to the same position, added ex-Packers special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton as their assistant ST coach and hired Cameron Clemmons as their assistant O-line coach. Additionally, Las Vegas is keeping Jon Gruden‘s son, Deuce, on staff as a strength and conditioning assistant.

Chiefs Expected To Tag Orlando Brown Jr., To Meet With Tyrann Mathieu’s Camp

March 1st, 2022 at 5:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Orlando Brown Jr.‘s quest to become a full-time left tackle led him to Kansas City, and the Chiefs will soon be forced to carve out a sizable portion of their cap space to ensure he stays.

Chiefs GM Brett Veach said the team using its franchise tag on Brown is “likely,” as the team plans to work toward a long-term extension with its left tackle, Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star tweets. With all offensive line positions grouped together on the tag, Brown’s tag figure is expected to come in just below $17MM. Given the going rate for upper-echelon left tackles, that is not an especially steep price. Tagging Brown would give the Chiefs until mid-July to work out an extension.

Having spent two-plus seasons as the Ravens’ right tackle, Brown maneuvered his way to the Chiefs after demanding to play on the left side — where he finished the 2020 season after Ronnie Stanley‘s first major injury. Last season, Brown made his third Pro Bowl and was a central figure in the Chiefs’ O-line overhaul. He will certainly push for an extension north of $20MM per year. Three left tackles — Trent Williams, David Bakhtiari and Laremy Tunsil, whose 2020 extension reshaped the position’s market — now earn more than $22MM annually.

Brown’s status clouds Tyrann Mathieu‘s. The Chiefs have been prepared to tag Brown since acquiring him last year, leaving their top secondary piece unsigned. The Chiefs have two more weeks of exclusive negotiating rights with the All-Pro safety before the legal tampering period begins. Veach plans to meet with Mathieu’s agent at the Combine, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. It is far from a guarantee the three-time All-Pro stays in Kansas City.

Mathieu will turn 30 in May, but the nine-year veteran would still generate widespread interest on the open market. The Chiefs signed the versatile defender to a three-year, $42MM deal in March 2019, and he led the way in reshaping a then-bottom-tier defense. Given the deals handed out to Justin Simmons and Jamal Adams last year, Mathieu will be in good shape to score another monster payday soon. No active safety matches Mathieu’s three first-team All-Pro honors.

Sitting $11MM-plus under the cap, the Chiefs will need to continue to make moves to carve out space for a Brown tag and other moves. The team already released four-year linebacker starter Anthony Hitchens and can keep restructuring Patrick Mahomes‘ 10-year contract. The team created $17MM in cap space by restructuring Mahomes’ deal last year.

Latest On Chiefs’ Tyrann Mathieu, Orlando Brown Jr.

February 3rd, 2022 at 3:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2021 season ended just short of a third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl for the Chiefs, beginning an offseason filled with important roster decisions. General manager Brett Veach‘s comments in a recent press conference highlighted the team’s likely priorities, which will be shaped to a large extent by a pair of pending free agents: safety Tyrann Mathieu and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.

One day after the Chiefs’ overtime loss in the AFC title game, Mathieu posted a tweet which certainly points to him signing elsewhere in the offseason. “Lot to be proud of over the past 3 years”, it states. “I’m thankful and grateful. I leave with a grateful heart having got the chance to play for all you good people”.

Veach, however, was quick to downplay the high potential of the three-time All Pro departing. When asked if Mathieu’s stay in KC is over, he responded, “I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily true. That’s Tyrann just being his genuine self” (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Teicher). The 29-year-old recorded 13 interceptions in three seasons in Kansas City. His contract, which averages $14MM per year, expires in March.

When asked about Brown Jr., Veach stated that he expects the 25-year-old to be the team’s starting LT, tweets NFL Network’s James Palmer. He was traded from the Ravens last April, in a move that accommodated his request to play on the blindside – something that his late father always wanted for him. 2021 was the final year of his rookie contract, which carried a salary of just under $3.4MM. His 75.2 PFF grade this year didn’t live up to the potential he showed in Baltimore, but it should still be enough to command an extension making him one of the league’s highest paid tackles.

Overall, Veach stated that the defensive side of the ball is likely to be the organization’s first priority this offseason (Twitter link via Herbie Tope of the Kansas City Star). With very limited cap space and a few massive deals already on the books, though, any commitment to Mathieu and/or Brown Jr. would greatly reduce the team’s remaining options with regards to maintaining an elite roster.

Chiefs’ Tyrann Mathieu Expected To Play Sunday

January 28th, 2022 at 4:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the build-up to Sunday’s AFC championship game, the Chiefs may have one of their best defenders available. Head coach Andy Reid indicated that safety Tyrann Mathieu could clear concussion protocol in time to play against the Bengals (Twitter link via Chiefs reporter Matt McMullen).

Mathieu suffered a concussion after playing only seven snaps in the Chiefs’ dramatic win over the Bills last Sunday, which has put his status in doubt for this week. Specifically, Reid said, “we think he’ll be ready to roll in a day or so”, noting that he has practiced despite not clearing the protocol as of yet.

The 29-year-old has played a major role in Kansas City over the past three years, providing not only Pro Bowl-caliber play but also much-needed leadership and communication. His 2021 stats (76 tackles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions) are par for the course in his career so far, which will make him a highly sought-after free agent this offseason.

Reid was sure to add “we’ll see tomorrow” with regards to Mathieu’s availability. If he weren’t able to suit up, Daniel Sorensen would have a big role to play, alongside fellow starter Juan Thornhill, against a high-powered Bengals’ passing attack.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Chiefs S Tyrann Mathieu

November 29th, 2021 at 9:30pm CST by Ely Allen

He’s been here before and has seen his value fluctuate rather broadly over the course of his nine-year career. Tyrann Mathieu hopes he’ll cash in on the high end on this go round as he tries to steady a Kansas City defense that has struggled early in the season.

The former LSU Tiger was drafted in the third round by the Cardinals in 2013. He was solid through his first couple of pro seasons, but he truly broke out in his Year 3 with five interceptions and 17 passes defensed en route to first-team All-Pro honors. Despite the ACL tear that capped his 2015, the Cardinals rewarded the rangy safety with an eye-popping five-year, $62.5MM extension just before the start of ’16.

His first foray into free agency came in 2018, when he refused to take a pay cut. Three days later, the Texans took a flier on Mathieu with a one-year, $7MM deal. The next year, he moved on to the Chiefs, who furnished him with a three-year, $42MM contract. Rejuvenated in KC, he went on to capture a Super Bowl ring and nab ten interceptions over the next two years.

Now Mathieu sits in a contract year once again. He’s seen his value fluctuate from a rookie deal to $12.5MM per annum to $7MM all the way to to his current contract, valuing him at $14MM per year.

He’s had a good a year so far — two picks, one pick-six, five passes defensed, and a sack for good measure. Still, he’ll need a bigger second half in order to land the kind of deal that he wants. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of time to pad the highlight reel and ample opportunity as the Chiefs make their playoff push.

Mathieu is unlikely to top Jamal Adams ($17.5MM per year), but there’s reason to believe that he could approach Harrison Smith‘s deal ($16MM per year). After all, Smith inked his four-year re-up in his age 32 season. Mathieu, meanwhile, won’t turn 30 until May.

While Mathieu does have a bit of an injury history, he’s got plenty of gas left in the tank and an All-Pro skillset to offset any concerns. As long as he keeps his foot on the pedal, Mathieu should still be able to command top dollar for his services this spring.

Chiefs Activate Tyrann Mathieu; S Still Game-Time Call

September 11th, 2021 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs will have the option of Tyrann Mathieu suiting up in Week 1. They activated the All-Pro safety from the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday, but it is not yet a lock he will play Sunday.

Mathieu tested positive for the coronavirus Sept. 1, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets the team wants to monitor its standout defender after this hiatus in order to ensure he’s good to go against the Browns. Mathieu officially will carry a questionable designation for Week 1, but Saturday’s activation certainly marks a good sign for his Sunday availability.

Andy Reid said this week Mathieu could play despite not practicing over the past week and change. Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo has essentially drawn up two game plans, per NFL.com’s James Palmer (Twitter link), based on Mathieu’s status. The Chiefs have capitalized on Mathieu’s versatility, with the Honey Badger’s 2019 signing playing a central role in elevating Kansas City’s defense from the bottom-tier unit it was in 2018.

Mathieu, 29, intercepted six passes last season and has 10 thefts in two years with the Chiefs. He is going into a contract year and poised to cash in again. With one bye available to teams under the league’s new playoff format, Sunday’s Browns-Chiefs matchup takes on greater importance. Mathieu being on the field will aid the Chiefs against the team that nearly upset them in last year’s divisional round. Mathieu intercepted a pass in that narrow victory.

Additionally, the Chiefs promoted defensive back Zayne Anderson from their practice squad and signed linebacker Elijah Sullivan to their 16-man taxi squad. Kansas City also released DB Shakur Brown from the P-squad.