2024 is a big year for Tyrann Mathieu. The veteran safety has been everything the New Orleans Saints hoped for when they signed him, rarely missing a snap while leading Dennis Allen’s defense with seven interceptions through two years with his hometown team. He’s an important leader in the locker room, someone teammates flock to looking for advice.
For those reasons and more he’s an easy player to root for, at least according to NFL Media’s Dan Parr. Parr highlighted one player to cheer on each NFC team, and he says Mathieu fits the bill:
Let’s not sleep on the Badger’s abilities, OK? I know he’s heading into his age-32 season, but he remains one of the best players at his position and should be getting more recognition for it. Mathieu was left off the Pro Bowl roster last season, but he led all safeties with a targeted EPA of -37 (expected points added allowed when the player was targeted as the nearest defender), per Next Gen Stats. That metric is one way to look at how a player affects the offense’s scoring potential, and as you can see, Mathieu is very good at wiping out the hopes of the team lining up across from him. He’s also one of only two players who have recorded three or more interceptions in each season since 2017, alongside Justin Simmons. I’m rooting for Tyrann to get the flowers he deserves in 2024, and I appreciate that he doesn’t take his opportunities for granted.
It’s been impressive to see Mathieu playing so well this late into his career. He’s going into Year 12 in the NFL and turned 32 in May, having signed an extension with the Saints this spring. There’s a good chance he’ll play out the rest of his career in front of his hometown.
And the Saints are counting on him. We weren’t being hyperbolic about his snap counts; in 2022, he was on the field for all 1,129 snaps the team played on defense. In 2023 he was in the lineup for 1,097 of their 1,107 snaps played. He’s an every-down defender in every sense of the phrase.
Mathieu is one of several keystone veterans the Saints are leaning on defensively. Demario Davis (35 years old in Year 13) patrols the middle of the field at linebacker, while Cameron Jordan (who turns 35 in a few weeks, in Year 14) is the leader of the defensive line. At some point younger teammates must step up and lessen the load on their shoulders. For now, though, we’re anxious to see just how far Mathieu can take his career.
