Despite restructuring his deal to stay with the team, New Orleans Saints star safety Tyrann Mathieu could be a possible trade candidate. According to a report, one source believes the Saints could send the veteran in a trade since the team will likely need to make a lot of difficult decisions sooner rather than later. After signing Justin Reid, it puts the entire roster in a deeper hole as they will be over $47 million in cap space, so it would be wise to trim that number before it gets worse. As Mathieu enters his final year of his contract, it would make sense for the Saints to trade if the team endures another losing season, which is likely due to the situation offensively after Derek Carr’s retirement.
The Saints don’t look like contenders this year, so it shouldn’t be surprising if the veteran himself requests a trade and hopes to land with a contender. At age 33, he knows his time is winding down, and just like his trade value, the Saints need to act fast as soon as they see they don’t have a real chance of making it to at least a wild-card round. Originally selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the former LSU product began his early days with the Arizona Cardinals before spending one season in Houston and joining the Kansas City Chiefs to win a Super Bowl. Mathieu isn’t in his prime anymore, but these three possible contenders could use his presence to upgrade their secondary units.
Report: Saints Star Tyrann Mathieu Named Possible Trade Candidate – 3 Logical Fits
Potential Destinations
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers made a lot of investments in their secondary unit after losing Kristian Fulton to Kansas City, and the team might not be done yet. Head Coach Jim Harbaugh wants to win football games in the trenches, but it looks like the Chargers are taking a different direction after the acquisition of Donte Jackson and Benjamin St-Juste. This means the Los Angeles secondary might look dramatically different, but it may pay its dividends this upcoming season.
However, they could always use another veteran to help in rotation between Alohi Gilman, Derwin James and Elijah Molden. Tony Jefferson is the latest player who is rumored to be cut, and that could become true if the Chargers trade for Mathieu. This should put the Chargers in having one of the most dangerous safety units in the AFC.
Baltimore Ravens
Meanwhile, after losing Ar’Darius Washington to a brutal injury, the Ravens have yet to find a reliable replacement. They can’t afford to lean all of the pressure on 2025 draft pick Malakai Starks. Even though he has all of the potential in the world, it’s better to be safe than sorry. After trading for Jaire Alexander a few weeks ago, the team making a move for Mathieu would put Baltimore back in the Super Bowl for the first time in more than a decade, paired with Kyle Hamilton.
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders have the high-caliber offense to win a championship one day, but they haven’t made a lot of investment in their defense this free agency. While Marshon Lattimore and Jonathan Jones are the new duo bringing some upside, they could use someone like Mathieu to solidify the safety unit between Quan Martin and Will Harris.
