There’s a good chance that All-Pro Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu will hit free agency at some point soon. A report last week noted the Cardinals planned to release or trade Honey Badger.
Now according to the talented safety himself, the team has asked him to take a pay cut.
Tyrann Mathieu, here at @NFLNetwork Thursday, said he and agent spoke with Cardinals Thursday. They asked him to take a pay cut.
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) March 8, 2018
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport notes that Arizona is asking Mathieu to take a “large pay cut” from the $14.1 million he’s set to count against the cap next season. Arizona can get out from $13.8 million of that should it decide to move on from Mathieu prior to the start of the new league year this coming Wednesday.
This makes it seem as if Mathieu’s days in the desert are numbered.
The 25-year-old safety recorded 74 tackles, seven passes defended and two interceptions for the Cardinals last season. His best season with the team came back in 2015 when the LSU product earned First-Team All-Pro honors.
Should Mathieu hit the free agent market, there will be a bevy of teams interested in his services. He’s a ball-hawk. He’s still young. And he’s turned his life around big time after some major off-field struggles in college. It’s definitely something to keep an eye on.