Evan Mathis, now with Cardinals, looks for second straight Super Bowl ring
Aug 24, 2016, 1:28 PM | Updated: 5:53 pm
Guard Evan Mathis during training camp Aug. 4. (Photo by Adam Green/Arizona Sports)
(Photo by Adam Green/Arizona Sports)
Back in March, the Cardinals traded RG Jonathan Cooper to the Patriots for Chandler Jones, and immediately followed that trade by signing Super Bowl champion RG Evan Mathis.
Mathis, entering his 13th NFL season, is one of three new offensive lineman for the Cardinals. With all the buzz surrounding the organization, Mathis felt like Arizona was a good fit.
“Seeing how far they went and how much talent there was and how much was returning… this team definitely had potential when I made my decision and that was a huge part of it, and we continue to grow,” he told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s Off the Edge with B-Train.
Mathis’ skills will be much needed if the Cardinals are looking to keep quarterback Carson Palmer upright, but his leadership will be required on the right side of the line. Second-year man D.J. Humphries, who wasn’t active for a single game last season, is currently the only option as the starting right tackle.
Despite there being some worry about how Humphries can live up to his expectations, Mathis has confidence he can step up.
“D.J. has incredible potential and I’ve seen him steadily grow throughout training camp,” Mathis said. “There’s a lot of pressure on him because everyone know what they expect out of him based on the talent that he has.”
The Cardinals were recently picked by Sports Illustrated to go all the way and bring home their first Lombardi trophy. Mathis is ready to the play under the pressure of being a Super Bowl favorite.
“For me personally I don’t really care, I enjoy pressure, I play well under pressure. I don’t know how other players process that type of pressure,” Mathis said. “You never want anyone to feel too comfortable.”
With Mathis being on the Broncos last year, and starting for the reigning Super Bowl champions, he understands what it takes to win a title. The Cardinals though, haven’t proved anything yet.
“We are 0-0 right now, we have not done (anything), this team has done nothing, we have to go out and prove ourselves every single week.”
