GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals and All-Pro defensive back Tyrann Mathieu have agreed to a five-year, $62.5 million contract extension, with $40 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The big contract comes despite major injuries to both of Mathieu’s knees in his first three NFL seasons. He has yet to play a full NFL season.
Mathieu, known as the “Honey Badger” to his multitude of fans, sent a tweet Tuesday that said simply, “blessed.”
The agreement is further evidence of his remarkable rise after being out of football for a season following his dismissal from LSU for marijuana-related offenses.
Mathieu was considered a risk when the Cardinals chose him in the third round (69th overall) in the 2013 draft, but he quickly developed into one of the team’s top players and evolved into a vocal leader with no off-field issues.
Mathieu’s first contract had $800,000 guaranteed with a multitude of drug tests, but much of the money was spread over four seasons because of concerns about his earlier problems.
The new contract would be the largest for a safety in NFL history. Although he is listed as a safety and earned All-Pro honors at that position, Mathieu had more plays at cornerback last season. Basically, he’s a do-everything defensive back.
It was unclear whether the contract had contingencies if Mathieu suffers further serious injuries. The guarantee may be unprecedented for a young player who had undergone two knee surgeries in such a short period of time.