Tyrann Mathieu was a one-and-done player for the Houston Texans in 2018, but it turns out the team’s head coach, Bill O’Brien, didn’t necessarily want the safety’s tenure to be so short-lived.
Two offseasons ago, the Arizona Cardinals made Mathieu a surprising free agent when he was released after refusing a pay cut from the five-year extension he’d signed two years prior. Suddenly the market had a new entry at safety and the Houston front office immediately went into action. They secured Mathieu’s services on a quick contract signed only three days after his release good for one year and $7 million.