New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday, a day before the team’s training camp practice. The announcement came as a surprise, especially after Mathieu had participated in the Saints’ veteran minicamp earlier this offseason.
Mathieu, 33, retires after a standout 12-year NFL career, including the last three seasons with his hometown team in New Orleans. During his time with the Saints, he started all 51 regular season games, with 10 interceptions and 24 pass deflections. In his first season with the team, he recorded a career-high 91 tackles.
A third-round pick (No. 69 overall) by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2013 NFL Draft, Mathieu made an immediate impact as a rookie and went on to spend his first five seasons with the Cardinals. He earned his first first-team All-Pro honor in 2015 and helped lead Arizona to multiple playoff appearances.
Following his time in Arizona, Mathieu signed with the Houston Texans in 2018 before joining the Kansas City Chiefs the following year. In Kansas City, he earned his second All-Pro nod in 2019 and helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV. He was a back-to-back Pro Bowler in 2020 and 2021, and also received his third first-team All-Pro selection during that span.
Nicknamed the “Honey Badger” for his relentless and fearless playing style, Mathieu was known for his ability to create turnovers and disrupt offenses. He finished his NFL career with 838 tackles, 100 pass deflections, 36 interceptions, 11 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and 8 fumble recoveries.
Before the NFL, Mathieu starred at LSU, where he became one of college football’s best defensive players. In two seasons with the Tigers, he recorded 4 interceptions, 6 sacks, 16 pass deflections, 8 fumble recoveries, and an SEC record 11 forced fumbles. He also returned two punts for touchdowns during his sophomore season and was a 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist. That same year, he won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player.
Despite a promising start to his college career, Mathieu was dismissed from LSU in 2012 for repeated violations of the school’s substance abuse policy. After sitting out the 2012 season, he entered the NFL Draft and began a redemptive journey that saw him become one of the league’s premier defensive players.
Throughout his career, Mathieu was a three-time first-team All-Pro, a three-time Pro Bowler, and a key player on playoff teams in Arizona, Kansas City, and New Orleans. He also maintained a strong relationship with LSU, despite his earlier dismissal, donating $1 million to the university in 2016. The school later honored him by renaming its players’ lounge after him in 2017.
Mathieu steps away from the game as one of the most dynamic and resilient safeties of his generation.
