Tyrann Mathieu and the Arizona Cardinals are both happy with his new contract. According to Honey Badger, his fellow players were all pleased with the new deal as well.
Tyrann Mathieu on the congrats from other players: "Half were happy for me, half were happy I set the bar. It's a win for everybody."
— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) August 4, 2016
It certainly makes sense.
First of all, there’s no reason for a player to ever be anything but happy when another player signs a big contract.
Of course, a new bar being set is a big reason why.
One such player who has to be pleased is Seattle Seahawks star Kam Chancellor.
A comparable player, Chancellor is in the midst of a four-year deal worth just a shade over $28 million. Chancellor is set to become a free agent following the 2017 season. Whenever he decides to negotiate a new deal, Mathieu’s five-year, $62 million contract will give Chancellor a great starting point.
With that said, a new bar being set only truly impacts players who are at Mathieu’s level. In the secondary, Chancellor is one of only a few players who can make that claim. It’s also important to note that Mathieu plays corner more than he lines up at safety.
In only three NFL seasons, Mathieu has been voted First-Team All-Pro twice (2013, 2015) and can legitimately play four different positions in the secondary.