Honey Badger headed home?

With Tyrann Mathieu not expected to return to Kansas City, the New Orleans hometown hero is reportedly very interested in a move to the Saints. The Saints have shown “strong interest” in signing Mathieu, and a deal for the Honey Badger looks likely.

He has spent the last three seasons as the lynchpin of a Kansas City defense that was, frankly, terrible before his arrival.

With Saints safety Marcus Williams heading into free agency, New Orleans could really use the help in their secondary. A homecoming would be a dream come true for the fanbase, who have fervently followed Mathieu since his prep days at the city’s St Augustine High School. He went to college at LSU, where he led the defense to the SEC Championship game, winning MVP for that match and being a Heisman Trophy finalist.

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After his dismissal from the team by then-head coach Les Miles, Mathieu was drafted by Arizona and he proved that he was a bonafide superstar almost immediately. After a stellar five years, he was released by the Cardinals over a pay dispute and spent one season in Houston before signing with the Chiefs. During his three years with Kansas City, they made two Super Bowl appearances and won one.

This past season, Mathieu finished up with 76 tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions and six pass deflections last season. He also got a memorable pick-six against the Ravens, scoring the third defensive touchdown of his career.