Could the Honey Badger sign with the Colts, Raiders or Saints during free agency?

The second wave of 2022 NFL Free Agency period is launched and running at a breakneck pace. As players continue to sign new contracts, predictions for free agent S Tyrann Mathieu continue to be discussed. Which NFL teams need additional secondary help and could benefit the most from acquiring Mathieu in free agency?

Predictions for Tyrann Mathieu in NFL 2022 free agency

Honey Badger has been a disruptor on the court, making plays in seemingly every game since his days at LSU. However, it seems very likely that Mathieu’s days in Kansas City are over. Not only did general manager Brett Veach not offer Mathieu a contract, but he also brought in his replacement, signing former Houston Texans safety Justin Reid to a three-year deal.

Now in his 30s, some of Mathieu’s best seasons have come during his time at KC. In three seasons (47 games), Mathieu has 13 interceptions, 2 defensive touchdowns, 4 fumbles recovered, 213 tackles and 27 passes defended. Mathieu was also a consecutive first-team All-Pro selection in 2019 and 2020.

More than what he brings to the field, Mathieu has been praised for his status in the dressing room and is considered one of the pillars of the Chiefs organization. It’s not something Kansas City can easily replace.

As the NFL moves more and more towards all-or-nothing vertical attacks with more 3-WR sets on the field, there has never been more pressure on teams to have a strong secondary. As such, Mathieu is expected to receive a nice contract in the second wave of free agency. The only question is where, because there is no shortage of predictions.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts entered free agency with the largest salary cap space of any team. They also remained relatively calm in the market. After trading Carson Wentz to Washington in exchange for two third-round picks, the Colts got their QB.

On Monday, the Colts traded a third-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for veteran QB Matt Ryan. They go all-in on a division title and feel they can compete in the AFC once the playoffs are over.

Why not take a hard look at Mathieu? Last season, the Colts forced 33 turnovers, one behind the Dallas Cowboys for first place. The Colts defended well against the run but were in the bottom half of the league against the pass.

In October, safety Justin Blackmon tore his Achilles tendon and Khari Willis is in the final year of his rookie contract. Mathieu could be an important addition to what is an already dangerous defense. Keep an eye out for predictions that are beginning to connect these two sides.

New Orleans Saints

Could Mathieu’s football career come full circle? Originally from New Orleans, Mathieu played ball in the area and went to LSU. It is not out of the question that he could end it in Louisiana, because there would be a mutual interest.

After losing Marcus Williams to the Ravens, the Saints locked in former Jet safety Marcus Maye on a three-year, $22 million deal. While that might have knocked them out of the Mathieu contest, until the ink is dry on his next contract, I can’t completely rule them out.

Las Vegas Raiders

At this point, if someone is top free agency, throw them at AFC West. The Las Vegas Raiders played slow to start free agency. It didn’t last long – they did massive moves. The first domino was EDGE Chandler Jones; the second was the hit trade to acquire Davante Adams. Safe to say, Mark Davis came to play.

Take a look around AFC West and one thing is clear: you better defend the pass when six of your games are against a combination of Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson and Justin Herbert.

The Raiders have a young safety that can turn into a take-out artist in Trevon Moehrig. He was able to learn from the best alongside Mathieu. Johnathan Abram is not a security blanket. When targeted last season, he allowed 57 of 72 targets to be completed for 483 yards and 5 touchdowns. He is a player who runs downhill and lays the wood on RBs and WRs, sometimes even worse for wear.

Matthew is the opposite. He is a central defender who relies on his instincts to make plays all over the pitch. The Raiders could miss a myriad of positional groups in coverage, while Jones and Maxx Crosby put pressure on QBs, forcing errors on the field. If I’m Vegas, I roll the dice on Mathieu. Otherwise, they could go bankrupt in this division.