NFL 2022: Biggest contract bargain at every position
Biggest NFL contract bargain at safety: Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans Saints
Average annual salary: $9.433 million (16th among safeties)
NFC South. S. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. New Orleans Saints. Tyrann Mathieu. player. 15
All 32 NFL teams have two starting safeties, so on the surface, Tyrann Mathieu being 16th overall among his peers at the position doesn’t feel like that big of a bargain.
Considering how many safeties are on rookie deals across the NFL and how many of them are starting to get paid big money (some nearly double what Mathieu was paid by the Saints in 2022), Mathieu is undoubtedly one of the top bargains defensively in the NFL today.
Back in the 2019 offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs prioritized Mathieu and made him the focal point of their defensive backfield.
He helped lead them to a Super Bowl victory in his first year with the team.
Ever since he signed with the Chiefs, he’s been a key player for them working the deep half of the field, coming up into the box, playing man coverage — it doesn’t matter what he was tasked with.
Now, the Louisiana native gets to play for the Saints, a dream come true for him, and join forces with Marcus Maye in the backfield to give the Saints and head coach Dennis Allen one of the better secondaries in the entire league.
Mathieu has 13 interceptions over the last three seasons and can make an impact in coverage as well as rushing the passer.
He’s always been a playmaker, and now he’ll be bringing his unique energy to the Saints’ defense at a very reasonable price.