The New Orleans Saints find themselves in salary cap hell once again and could trade Tryann Mathieu to clear up some much-needed cap space. A three-time Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro, the former third-round pick is not the player he once was but is still a solid starter in the right environment. Last year, the veteran started all 17 games for New Orleans and finished the season with three interceptions, seven passes defended, 62 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and a 60.5 PFF grade, the 65th-best mark out of 98 eligible players.
Mathieu can still be a helpful player on the right team, but the Saints are not an ideal fit as he enters his age-33 season. Set to carry an $11.3 million cap hit, New Orleans desperately needs to clear cap space and could do it with a Tyrann Mathieu trade. According to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, the Kansas City Chiefs should inquire about what it would take to reunite with the one-time star safety.
“If [Mathieu] is traded after June 1 or released with a post-June 1 designation, the Saints can save $7.3 million in cap space…Mathieu, who played for Kansas City from 2019 to 2021, is already familiar with Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. The Chiefs could be in need of safety depth with Justin Reid scheduled to be a free agent.”
Bleacher Report Proposes Tyrann Mathieu Trade Between Saints, Chiefs
For financial reasons, a Tyrann Mathieu trade likely won’t happen until after June 1st. The Saints are currently $54.1 million over the salary cap and, with no relief in sight, must find some way to clear space and build a contender down the road. As mentioned above, trading Mathieu after June 1st will save $7.3 million, but doing it before that date will only create $16,000 in cap space.
Nobody knows what head coach Kellen Moore will do with full control of the organization. On paper, the Saints have one of the worst rosters in football and don’t have the financial or draft resources to improve the roster. General Manager Mickey Loomis has avoided rebuilding ever since Drew Brees called it a career, but it might be time to accept the inevitable. If the Saints decide to blow it up and start anew, then they should trade the aging Tyrann Mathieu for whatever they can get.
However, it takes two to tango, so would the Chiefs be interested in a trade?
Will the Chiefs Do It?
The Kansas City Chiefs are in a fascinating spot. After losing their chance at the three-peat, Andy Reid’s team could look dramatically different in the coming months. Travis Kelce is openly contemplating retirement, star guard Trey Smith is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency, and reliable players like DeAndre Hopkins, Isiah Pacheco, Nick Bolton, and Marquise Brown could all leave for greener pastures. With all these moving pieces, the team could struggle to re-sign safety Justin Reid.
Reid is not a Hall of Famer by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s been an above-average starter since joining the team in 2022. The present-day version of Tyrann Mathieu is not as good as Reid, but he could be a cost-effective replacement in a trade. Even if New Orleans waits until after June 1st to trade him, they’ll still take on most of his cap hit. Mathieu carries a manageable $6.3 million base salary. The safety can still do a little bit of everything and shouldn’t cost more than a late-round pick in a trade, which makes him well worth the investment if the team cannot retain Reid.
Main Photo: Stephen Lew – Imagn Images
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