The New Orleans Saints confronted an surprising shake-up this week when veteran security Tyrann Mathieu introduced his retirement simply days earlier than coaching camp started.
The timing caught many across the league off guard, because the 33-year-old closed the e-book on a distinguished NFL profession along with his hometown group.
Mathieu had been a constant presence for the Saints, beginning each recreation throughout his three seasons in New Orleans.
The adorned security lately opened up about what drove his resolution to step away from skilled soccer throughout an look on the Up & Adams Present with Kay Adams.
“The older I bought, the more difficult and more durable it turned to depart my youngsters. Like at first, it was all cool. I get the weekend off. However then, when you get to a sure age, or I suppose I ought to say as soon as you start to expertise totally different elements of life, I believe priorities shift. I believe the issues that meant essentially the most to me once I was 22, they don’t actually imply essentially the most to me at 33. My youngsters performed a giant half in that,” Mathieu mentioned.
WHY did Tyrann Mathieu resolve to retire???
Respect this reply a lot:@Mathieu_Era @UpAndAdamsShow @Saints @AZCardinals @HoustonTexans @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/3i6R4gjiT0
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) July 24, 2025
The previous LSU standout additionally shared a touching second about his five-year-old daughter Mila, who expressed disappointment that she would now not get to decorate up for recreation days.
Mathieu shares three youngsters along with his girlfriend: Noah (12), Tyrann Jr. (11), and Mila (5).
His retirement caps a outstanding 12-year NFL journey that included three All-Professional alternatives and a Tremendous Bowl championship with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in 2019.
He was a Heisman Trophy finalist at LSU in 2011 earlier than off-field points led to his dismissal from this system in 2012.
The Arizona Cardinals chosen Mathieu within the third spherical (69th general) of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Over his profession, he appeared in 180 regular-season video games, recording 834 whole tackles, 11 sacks, and 36 interceptions with 4 returned for touchdowns.
He additionally pressured seven fumbles and recovered eight throughout stints with the Cardinals (2013–2017), Houston Texans (2018), Chiefs (2019–2021), and Saints (2022–2024).
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