The Arizona Cardinals and Pro Bowl defensive back Tyrann Mathieu were working up until Wednesday’s deadline to come to terms on a contract restructure. That’s now completely off the table.
According to Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer, the Cardinals have informed Mathieu that he will in fact be released.
Cardinals have informed the Tyrann Mathieau The Honey Badger they are releasing him
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) March 14, 2018
In a vacuum, this isn’t necessarily a stunning move. It had previously been reported that Honey Badger was on the chopping block. He was set to count $14.1 million against the cap in 2018. By releasing him, the Cardinals gain $11 million in cap room.
Even then, for Arizona to release a player of Mathieu’s caliber is somewhat shocking. He’s just 25 years old and put up an All-Pro performance in the desert back in 2015. In five seasons with the Cardinals, the former LSU standout recorded 305 tackles, 41 passes defended and 11 interceptions. He’ll certainly be a highly coveted option on the free agent market.
