"There’s a real fondness there though" - Tom Brady may lure Buccaneers into recruiting Tyrann Mathieu
Could quarterback Tom Brady and free-agent safety Tyrann Mathieu be teammates with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2022 season?
There are rumors that the 44-year-old quarterback could persuade Tampa Bay to go after the 29-year-old safety.
According to ESPN NFL reporter Jenna Laine, there’s no news connecting Mathieu to Tampa Bay but states that Brady has a fondness for the safety:
“I have not heard anything on this front. I don’t know what Mathieu’s asking price is. It could be too high for a team that used three safeties last year. I do know Tom loves to recruit and there’s a real fondness there though.”
I have not heard anything on this front. I don’t know what Mathieu’s asking price is. It could be too high for a team that used three safeties last year. I do know Tom loves to recruit and there’s a real fondness there though.
Laine replied to a tweet from the three-time Pro Bowl safety that was captioned with "Family Fun." The photo features the talented safety, along with the children of Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
FAMILY FUN! https://t.co/RaIanmfFC3
Mathieu was drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He started 11 of the 13 games he started in his rookie season. He had two interceptions, nine passes defended, and a forced fumble as he finished fourth in the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in the 2013 season.
In the 2015 season, he made both his first Pro Bowl and AP First Team All-Pro, as the safety had five interceptions and 17 passes defended that season.
His five interceptions were tied for the sixth-most in the league, while his 17 passes defended placed him in the top 10.
After spending the first five years of his NFL career with Arizona, he signed a one-year, $7 million dollar deal with the Houston Texans for the 2018 season.
The safety had two interceptions and eight passes defended in his lone season with the Texans. In March 2019, he inked a three-year, $42 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.
With the Chiefs, he’s made two Pro Bowls and AP All-Pro First Teams while snagging 13 interceptions and 27 passes defended.
Can Tampa Bay Sign Mathieu?
According to the salary cap tracker website Spotrac, the market value of the former LSU Tiger is a three-year, $44,599,509 contract. Spotrac notes that the Buccaneers have just $3,329,666 in total cap space at the moment.
Will the All-Pro safety land in Tampa Bay this offseason? We’ll see how it all plays out.