Tyrann Mathieu Finally Breaks Silence Following Shocking Retirement

Earlier this month, New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu shocked the NFL world when he announced that he was retiring from football ahead of the coming season. This decision was very unexpected as training camp was kicking off for the season.

Mathieu, 33, playe three seasons with the Saints, five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, and a season with the Houston Texans. He won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs and was named to the All-Pro first team on three separate occasions. The veteran intercepted 36 passes in his career including three or more interceptions in each of his final six seasons.

For the first time since the announcement, Mathieu has spoken out on what led to the decision.

"Ultimately, it's about my family and just being present for them. I'd probably say this decision, as you get older, every year, you ask yourself, 'Man, do I want to do it? Do I want to do it?' (retire)," Mathieu said on a recent episode of The Insiders. "But after a summer with the kids, man, and basketball camps, baseball tournaments. I felt like that's where my heart was ultimately at. And I think that's really what led to the decision right before training camp."

At the end of the day, family is going to be the most important aspect of a lot of players' lives. It's commendable for Mathieu to choose to be present with his family instead of chasing money playing a physical game like football.

Mathieu was able to go out in the way he wanted to. He retired from the game when he felt like it. The game didn't beat him down and force him into retirement.