The Arizona Cardinals made headlines when they decided to part ways with safety Tyrann Mathieu after he refused to take a pay cut. Needless to say, it did not take long for the Houston Texans to close in on a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the talent defensive back for the 2018 season.
Mathieu has acknowledged that he had more lucrative offers on the table. However, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle,, he said defensive end J.J. Watt was among the reasons he decided to go to Houston:
“I knew J.J. for a couple of years,” Mathieu said at his introductory news conference. “We share the same agent, and we've shared a couple of lunches together. We've been able to communicate via phone, text, social media — things like that.”
Mathieu added that he wanted to be somewhere with a great defense and the potential to compete for a championship.
“I just wanted to come where guys are hungry,” Mathieu said. “Obviously, I'm very hungry at this point in my career.
“I wanted to come to a team that had great potential, a team that (can be) dominant on defense. I think I made the right choice.”
There are plenty of reasons for both Mathieu and the Texans to be excited about their prospects on defense next season. Not only is the team extremely talented, but they are also determined to bounce back strong from their injury-riddled 2017 campaign.
Mathieu now joins a defense that boasts players like Watt, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, and linebacker Whitney Mercilus. Meanwhile, Houston finally addressed a serious need with the addition of the Honey Badger to the secondary. That said, the former Pro Bowler will have plenty of opportunities to flex his playmaking prowess behind such a formidable front seven.
Follow Us
Subscribe