Tyrann Mathieu: Means a lot to have another opportunity to help Saints win
A number of veteran safeties have been cast aside by their teams in recent days, but Tyrann Mathieu and the Saints moved in a different direction.
Mathieu was signed for the 2024 season before agreeing to a two-year deal that ties him to his hometown team through the 2025 season. Mathieu will be 33 with 13 NFL seasons under his belt at that point, so the prospect of retiring as a member of the Saints is part of what was on his mind after signing the new deal.
In a press conference on Thursday to discuss the deal, Mathieu said the chance to help the Saints have success was more significant that any thoughts of where he'll end his career.
"I hope so," Mathieu said, via the team's website. "But I would probably say more than that, I've got another chance to help these guys win. I'd say the last couple of years have kind of been underwhelming, to say the least. So to have another opportunity to suit back up with these guys, help this whole city win, that means a lot to me. So I'm excited about that opportunity."
Mathieu said "it took me a while to kind of get comfortable and to get going" after joining the Saints in 2022, but he felt more at home last season and that he sees "a lot of football plays to be made" with an even greater familiarity with the defense in Year Three. The Saints will be hoping that translates to their first playoff trip since 2020.
