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The Cardinals have a big decision to make on Tyrann Mathieu’s contract this offseason.
If the Honey Badger is still on Arizona’s roster on March 14, $19 million of his salary becomes guaranteed.
This looming decision has not been lost on the player, who recently tweeted something cryptic about gambling on himself.
Cardinals general manager Steve Keim was also asked about Mathieu’s option at the NFL Combine on Wednesday and he was non-committal about picking it up. That led to Mathieu tweeting this:
It's a business https://t.co/1l5OPGuGOq
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) February 28, 2018
Given these recent events, it at least seems possible the Cardinals get rid of Mathieu this offseason.
One Eagles player has already begun to campaign for the Eagles to bring the Honey Badger to Philadelphia.
Bring Arizona 32 to Philly!
— Jalen Mills (@greengoblin) March 1, 2018
Mills and Mathieu both attended LSU, so that explains the bond there.
Now, is it actually realistic that the Eagles could acquire Mathieu? Unless he’s making an offer like Ndamukong Suh allegedly made to play for free (which he later denied), I highly doubt it.
I’ve also seen some people suggest the Eagles trade Nick Foles to the Cardinals for Mathieu. Philadelphia simply can’t afford to take on the Honey Badger’s $14.1 million cap figure.
It’s fun to think about adding Mathieu to the Eagles’ defense. With Patrick Robinson and Corey Graham set to be free agents, the Birds are going to potentially need a new slot corner and more safety depth. Mathieu’s presence would automatically help in both of those areas.
But that’s all this is: a fun thought. And something to talk about on a slow day in the offseason.