In a late-July surprise, Tyrann Mathieu is calling it a career.
The decorated safety is retiring after 12 NFL seasons, the Saints announced Tuesday.
Although he compiled an underwhelming 2024 season, the 33-year-old safety was expected to fill one half of a headline-grabbing safety tandem (with former teammate Justin Reid) in the back end of New Orleans' defense in 2025. Instead, the Louisiana native is walking away from a Saints team that finds itself in a transitional period after changing coaches in early 2025.
"I'm a little surprised but we had some advanced notice," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Tuesday. "Just have so much respect for Tyrann and what he's accomplished. I mean, he's a legendary Louisiana player, legendary NFL player. Really appreciate his time with us. He was fantastic. ... What a great career."
Tuesday's news brings an end to a career that began with uncertainty but lasted a dozen years and included plenty of deserved accolades. Mathieu's career took on a nomadic appearance, but he contributed at every stop along his journey. He earned three first-team All-Pro selections and three Pro Bowl nods over the course of his 12 NFL seasons, won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs and landed on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team for the 2010s, a strong indicator he'll receive his own place in Canton in the future.
A consensus All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year at LSU, Mathieu was seen as a high-value prospect, but off-field concerns contributed to a slide into the third round of the 2013 draft. Arizona scooped him up with the 69th overall pick and reaped the rewards, which included consideration for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2013 and a first-team All-Pro selection in 2015 before a contract dispute led to his release.
Mathieu found a home in Houston for one season in 2018, then latched on with ascending powerhouse Kansas City in 2019 where he filled a vital role in the back of Steve Spagnuolo's defense, serving as a safety who could do anything for his aggressive defensive coordinator. Though slight in stature at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Mathieu wasn't afraid to get his nose dirty and made plenty of plays for a Chiefs defense that rounded into form down the stretch of the 2019 season and helped Kansas City bring home its second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Mathieu would spend three years playing in an assortment of highly important contests with the Chiefs before making a homecoming by signing with his home state Saints in 2022. In NOLA, he'd finish his pro career by starting in every possible game over his final three seasons, tallying 228 tackles, 24 passes defensed, 10 interceptions and three forced fumbles. With a memorable career of which he can be proud behind him, Mathieu leaves football in the same state in which he began playing it.
How does retirement impact Saints' D in 2025?
When the Saints signed Reid to a three-year, $31.5 million deal in the offseason, it was seen as a win for a franchise that needed one after firing defensive-minded Dennis Allen in 2024. Reid was the ideal running mate for Mathieu, two players with plenty of experience who could still make a difference.
Now, they're left with just one.
Mathieu's down 2024 season suggested he might be over the hill, but New Orleans didn't approach the situation as if it were a top priority in 2025. They drafted Virginia safety Jonas Sanker in the third round with the idea he'd learn behind Mathieu, contribute on special teams and find a rotational role in their defense. With Mathieu's surprise retirement, Sanker will find himself with an immediate opportunity to earn a starting job, while Loomis will also look to add a safety to the roster quickly.
Loomis told reporters New Orleans will "certainly" add a defensive back following Mathieu's retirement, adding "we'll look for somebody available that can help us."
Veteran Justin Simmons remains unsigned and is very familiar with the NFC South after spending 2024 with Atlanta, but he's stated he's interested in joining a contender in 2025. With expectations being low for the Saints this season, it might take some convincing -- perhaps in the form of dollars and instant opportunity -- in order to lure him to the Big Easy.
Former Colts safety Julian Blackmon is also available, as is 32-year-old veteran Quandre Diggs, who is fully cleared from a pervious foot injury and is available to play, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Options exist, but with camp starting, the Saints will need to act quickly to fill the unexpected void created by Mathieu's retirement.
