It made all the sense in the world for the Arizona Cardinals and Tyrann Mathieu to come to a long-term extension: Mathieu is one of the most dynamic defensive backs in the NFL, capable of playing at a high level at both safety and cornerback, and also one of the league’s best redemption stories, after overcoming some self-inflicted setbacks at Louisiana State to become the emotional leader of the Cardinals’ defense.
And now, it’s done.
Via multiple reports, Arizona and Mathieu have inked a five-year, $62.5 million deal that includes a whopping $40 million in guarantees (whopping that nearly two-thirds of the money is guaranteed).
The contract news explains Mathieu’s simple tweet posted about 20 minutes before word came that he and the team had agreed:
 | @Mathieu_Era | |
Blessed....
| ||
It’s the biggest deal for a safety in NFL history, which makes sense given that Mathieu doesn’t play exclusively at the position and corners typically get paid more than safeties.
Mathieu is returning from a torn ACL suffered in the fourth quarter of the Cardinals’ December blowout of the Eagles in Week 14 last year. Despite the injury, Mathieu was named first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career, after his stat-line-stuffing season.
He also likely gained a lot of new fans after “All or Nothing,” the NFL FIlms miniseries that chronicled Arizona’s 2015 season. Mathieu and coach Bruce Arians were the stars of the show, their close personal relationship on display along with Mathieu’s fiery leadership and stellar play. When he was injured, the tenor of the show, along with the Cardinals’ postseason hopes, changed.
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