The New Orleans Saints reported for training camp Tuesday, but safety Tyrann Mathieu wasn't one of those players. The NFL world was stunned when Mathieu announced his retirement after a 12-year career.
Mickey Loomis revealed the Saints knew ahead of time but they were still surprised by the decision. How could you not be? We're in July, and Mathieu was present through the offseason. His commitment to the job wasn't in question before this.
Mathieu ends his career as a potential Hall of Fame player. He revolutionized the game for defensive backs, and is an inspiration for the positionless defensive back that has taken over the sport. Mathieu has played in the slot and at safety throughout his career. He played for the Cardinals, Texans and Chiefs, but he ultimately got his wish to retire a New Orleans Saint.
Drastic shift from Tyrann Mathieu's previous plans
Mathieu stepping away from the game right before training camp is stunning, but the surprise is magnified by his comments from earlier this offseason.
Once your time in the league starts to reach the double digits, conversations around retirement are bound to arise. The question was posed to Demario Davis, and he gave a timeline of when that would happen. Mathieu was asked about how much longer he planned to play this offseason, and it's clear plans changed.
Mathieu told Brooke Kirchofer in an exclusive interview, "I would probably say maybe two years left." This discussion took place in February. By the end of July, Mathieu was hanging up his cleats. You have to wonder what changed to alter his plans this much. The timeline ended up being closer to two months than two years.
There was one caveat Mathieu added to his timeline. His play has to be "at a level that I accept." It's possible after minicamp Mathieu realized he wasn't going to be able to meet his standard any longer. Rather than go through the season as a shell of himself, he'd rather step away early. As time goes on, Mathieu will certainly give a statement with insight on this decision.