Cardinals’ Tyrann Mathieu voted best safety in league by NFL.com
Jul 21, 2016, 8:32 AM | Updated: 7:51 pm
Arizona Cardinals free safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) intercepts a pass for a touchdown as San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin (81) misses the catch during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
What position does Tyrann Mathieu play exactly?
Good question, and one that is being considered heavily as the Arizona Cardinals continue to work on a new contract for their stud fourth-year defensive back.
While position may have a huge impact on future earnings for the “Honey Badger,” it’s immaterial when it comes to the game. Mathieu is a force no matter where he lines up in Arizona’s defense.
NFL.com is conducting its NFL Summer Games, in which a panel of experts votes for their gold, silver and bronze medal winners at each position (in a nod to the upcoming Rio Olympics), and Mathieu won the gold medal in the safeties competition, beating out Seattle’s Earl Thomas and Minnesota’s Harrison Smith.
Even though I think @Earl_Thomas is a better pure safety than me, I'll take the nod. pic.twitter.com/VyBSEMJTBs
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) July 21, 2016
Eight out of 19 voters named Mathieu as the best safety in the game.
Here’s a sampling of what some of Mathieu’s supporters had to say:
Elliot Harrison: “This year, the Seahawks will have two All-Pro safeties … but one of them will have to accept second-team honors. Honey Badger = Defensive Player of the Year.”
Michael Robinson: “Mathieu plays nearly every position in the secondary and is the key piece to the Cardinals’ D.”
Marcas Grant: “Mathieu is arguably the glue that holds together one of the league’s best defenses.”
Solomon Wilcots: “Honey Badger’s overall versatility makes him the most useful safety in the league.”
Dave Dameshek: “Move over, “QB League”: The NFL is now about hybrid players — and the Honey Badger is the best of the bunch.”
Ike Taylor: “Mathieu’s versatility makes him the best safety in the game, and he’s close to cracking the lineup as a corner, as well — especially since he took more than 60 percent of snaps at slot corner.”
Eric Davis: “Honey Badger can line up anywhere on the field, across from any player. ”
Jamie Dukes: “Mathieu is a special player. And what I appreciate most about him is how he rebuilt himself as the gold standard — as a player and person. ”
Mathieu was a strong contender for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year last season before a knee injury suffered in Week 15 against Philadelphia sidelined him for the rest of the campaign. The former LSU star had 90 total tackles — good for second-most on the team — with one sack and five interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown in a Week 3 win over San Francisco.
Other safeties who were mentioned in the voting were Kansas City’s Eric Berry, Seattle’s Kam Chancellor, Miami’s Reshad Jones, Philadelphia’s Malcolm Jenkins, free agent Will Hill and New England’s Devin McCourty.
