Why New Orleans Saints star safety Tyrann Mathieu is easy to root for during the 2024 season
The New Orleans Saints have one of the top veteran secondary defenders in the NFL. Tyrann Mathieu, coined The Honey Badger, is a fan favorite around New Orleans. Now, he's getting more national recognition for the first time in a handful of seasons. The veteran hasn't slowed down on the football field. Saints' Tyrann Mathieu […]
The New Orleans Saints have one of the top veteran secondary defenders in the NFL. Tyrann Mathieu, coined The Honey Badger, is a fan favorite around New Orleans.
Now, he's getting more national recognition for the first time in a handful of seasons. The veteran hasn't slowed down on the football field.
Saints' Tyrann Mathieu is easy to root for in 2024
NFL Media’s Dan Parr named one player on each NFC team that folks should cheer for in the upcoming season. The Saints safety got the team's nomination.
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.
— via Dan Parr of NFL Media
Mathieu is a great nomination here. The veteran leader for the Saints defense was quite overlooked in 2023.
The Saints' mediocre season, as a whole, can take much of that blame. As for The Honey Badger, he played the best so far during his Saints tenure. The safety position opposite of him was influx for much of the year, and he never allowed that to hurt his on-field play.
Mathieu has a clear confidence on the field and getting top cornerback Marshon Lattimore back on the field for New Orleans in 2024 should help him out as well. The secondary is very well-rounded, and you could argue that it's the best aspect of the Saints' entire roster. Mathieu is one of the most important aspects of that unit.
It's nice to see him get some deserved respect and recognition before the upcoming season.
Saints bring back home a veteran player in latest move
Adding depth.
