Tyrann Mathieu has the new contract he's been looking for. The Arizona Cardinals locked up their dynamic defensive back to a long-term deal Tuesday. He is now the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
Tyrann Mathieu’s new deal should be approximately 5 years, $62.5 million, per NFL source
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) August 2, 2016
The deal is the largest contract ever given to a safety, per OverTheCap. While Mathieu does play some corner as well, he's listed as a safety on the team site. His $12.5 million per year average is nearly $2 million more than the deal Harrison Smith signed with the Vikings this offseason.
Adam Schefter reports the deal has $40 million guaranteed. Even if that includes injury guarantees, it's at least $10 million more guaranteed than any other safety. Smith is getting roughly $28.58 million guaranteed.
The undersized safety has developed into a true playmaker for the Cardinals. A third round pick in 2013 NFL Draft, Mathieu has eight picks, a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles in his three years. However, he has battled knee injuries, including tearing both his ACLs.
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