It came as a surprise to many when the Arizona Cardinals cut safety Tyrann Mathieu on Wednesday.
Now, the LSU product is on the free agent market, and immediately became the No. 5 free agent in the NFL following his release. He is being sought after by several teams, with multiple NFL stars actively recruiting him on Twitter.
Come on over bro @Mathieu_Era
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 14, 2018
@Mathieu_Era come rock with the gang… you gone fit in perfect and we gone run it up…. #FACTS #BoltGangORDontBang
— KINGMEL (@MelvinIngram) March 14, 2018
— F L ⚡️ S H (@Melvingordon25) March 14, 2018
@Mathieu_Era we gotta locker up in Cincy With your name on it bro! Would love for you to be an addition to the squad! #WhoDey
— ⚡️Primetime!!!⚡️ (@Joe_MainMixon) March 14, 2018
Calling the Badger📞 https://t.co/IMCG6G7iyN
— Jamal Adams (@Prez) March 14, 2018
— Jarvis Juice Landry (@God_Son80) March 14, 2018
@Mathieu_Era you would fit and look good with the @steelers…💯
— . (@Ike_SwagginU) March 14, 2018
Hmmmmmmm 👀 #TB🌴☀️ https://t.co/tC8sXQ3Fxo
— OJ Howard (@TheRealOjHoward) March 14, 2018
While Mathieu has given no hints of where he may go, and no meetings or visits have announced, he has discussed what he is looking for in a team.
“It’s not all about money for me,” Mathieu said in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “I want to go somewhere where I can be completely immersed in football, and it’s not too much about anything but winning. I want to be a part of winning culture, where you feel that all the time. That’s all I want.”
While no Patriots have gone to Twitter to recruit Mathieu, New England perfectly fits his description of his ideal fit. This has led to multiple outlets – including NESN, The Sports Hub and USA Today – to link the safety to the Patriots, who have the cap space to fit him on the roster.
However, the Patriots have bigger holes in other areas, with safety being one of the few spots on the defensive side of the ball that is in good shape. Devin McCourty is a Pro-Bowler, Duron Harmon is a very talented ball hawk and Patrick Chung is a great run defender. Were the Patriots to sign Mathieu, they could give both Harmon and Chung fewer snaps, and release Jordan Richards, who has been a major disappointment after being selected in the second round in 2015.
The 25-year old started all 16 games for the Cardinals last season, tallying 66 tackles along with two interceptions and one forced fumble. Mathieu has played 66 of 80 games in his five seasons, racking up 11 picks and four sacks.
