Tyrann Mathieu‘s raspy voice rings with raw emotion as he reflects on realizing his boyhood dream – suiting up for his hometown team, the New Orleans Saints. For the ‘Honey Badger’, sharing the locker room with stars who have become Crescent City icons like Cam Jordan and Alvin Kamara feels surreal.

Mathieu reflects on the recent episode of Green Light with Chris Long, “Man, being on a team with dudes that you just adopted your city? Like Cam Jordan, Kamara, even big Mike Thomas – these are family, you know?” His words echo after his extension jackpot with the franchise.

Mathieu’s burning to cement his legacy beyond the gridiron. In 2021, he was the Kansas City Chiefs‘ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for incredible community work. Last season, repping the Saints, he earned the same honor, “To have another opportunity to help this whole city win, that means a lot to me,” Mathieu stated intensely to ESPN earlier this month.

Amidst this, winning has been elusive lately for Nola. They’ve missed the playoffs three straight years, a drought unacceptable for a legendary franchise. But the Saints are stacking their chips, retaining core vets through savvy moves.

“The last couple years have been underwhelming, to say the least,” admitted Mathieu to ESPN. With the savvy salary cap management, the Saints are gearing up to try their best to end this three-year playoff drought in the Bayou.

Tyrann Mathieu and New Orleans looking forward to a fresh start with familiar faces!

The Big Easy has been a tough town for playoff football lately, but the Saints are swinging for the fences this offseason, retaining battle-tested vets through some fancy salary cap footwork.

A pivotal move was keeping hometown hero Mathieu in the Big Easy. The “Honey Badger” took a reasonable pay cut, inking a fresh 2-year, $13 million deal at age 31. For Mathieu, it’s about more than money though. “I love being in New Orleans, around my family, in the community,” he explained to ESPN. The three-time All-Pro hopes adding this year gives him a chance to retire with the Saints.

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Just as vital is getting Cam Jordan back to wrecking ball form after an injury-hampered 2023 saw his production plummet. The 34-year-old underwent offseason ankle surgery but is “on track” for April’s workout program, with coaches mindful of managing his reps to keep him fresh.

With foundational pieces like Mathieu solidifying the secondary and Jordan anchoring the pass rush, New Orleans boasts a stacked defense. Add Alvin Kamara’s dynamism on offense, and the Saints have the firepower to be dangerous, provided this star-studded core stays healthy and hungry.

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