Tyrann Mathieu would be fascinating free agent

Tyrann Mathieu has had a very interesting career. After being thrown off the LSU football team for a litany of issues during his college days, Mathieu landed with the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Since joining the Cardinals, Mathieu has both been phenomenal and oft-injured, leading to the current tipping point. With a cap hit of $14.1 million this season and an identical number in 2019, the Cardinals have a major decision to make. Release Mathieu before the start of the new league year on March 14, or guarantee him $19 million through the life of his deal.

For Arizona, keeping the talent might not be worth the money. For starters, Carson Palmer and Bruce Arians both retired, lending credence to the notion that the team is entering a rebuild. If that’s the case, it might be wise to strip down the cap numbers, especially for a player who has a lengthy injury history.

Over the first five years of his career, the Honey Badger has missed a total of  14 contests, although he played a full 16-game season for the first time last year. When healthy, Mathieu remains incredibly valuable as both a safety and corner, a rarity in today’s NFL.

Now, with the Cardinals reportedly offering him a pay cut, Mathieu is weighing all his options, per an interview on NFL Network with host Lindsay Rhodes.

“I wouldn’t say [the pay cut offer] was a spit in the face but … I was offered to play in the Pro Bowl. So had I played in the Pro Bowl, would the narrative be different? Because I don’t know many teams who cut Pro Bowl players. I think about all those things,” Mathieu said.

General manager Steve Kim has job security, making the idea of trading Mathieu a bit more palatable. Additionally, the Cardinals are without a quarterback on the roster with the retirement of Carson Palmer and the impending free agencies of Drew Stanton and Blaine Gabbert.

With that in mind, Kim might need all the cap space he can get, especially if he decides to sign a free agent such as Kirk Cousins or Teddy Bridgewater. In the case of Cousins, the price might be something along the lines of $30 million per season and $100 million guaranteed.

Arizona hsa a few more days to figure out what to do with Mathieu. If the decide to let him go has already been reached, then perhaps the next 72 hours are about attempting to trade the Pro Bowler.

A few years ago, getting rid of Mathieu in his prime years would have been unfathomable. Now? The reality of the NFL is setting in with the Cardinals.