METAIRIE, La. -- This homecoming was worth the wait for Tyrann Mathieu.
Not just the past several weeks of free agency, when the three-time first-team All Pro was holding out hope for what he called a "perfect" fit with his hometown New Orleans Saints. But the 10th-year veteran insisted Wednesday that this was something he had been "manifesting" for the past couple of years, even while thriving with the Kansas City Chiefs.
"This was the place I've always wanted to be. And I think most people around me, they wanted that, too," said Mathieu, who pointed out the Saints were the only team he visited in person during free agency before he signed a three-year deal that sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter is worth $33 million with $18 million in guarantees.