The Arizona Cardinals made the surprising decision to release safety Tyrann Mathieu after he refused to take a pay cut for the 2018 NFL season. Needless to say, it did not take long for him to get scooped up by another star-studded team in the Houston Texans on a one-year, $7 million deal.

Mathieu had plenty of suitors upon his release from the Cardinals. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, he felt Houston was the best fit for him at the moment:

“I had other options on the table, obviously more money, but the Texans were the best decision for me.”

Following a tumultuous college career at LSU, Mathieu quickly established himself as one of the biggest steals of the 2013 NFL Draft after being taken in the third round. His best year came in the 2015 NFL season when he registered 89 tackles, five interceptions, and 17 pass deflections en route to First-Team All-Pro honors.

Unfortunately, he has been unable to mirror that production ever since after being placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. However, he managed to bounce back with a solid 2017 campaign while playing in all 16 games for the first time in his five-year career.

The Texans addressed a serious need in the secondary with Mathieu's arrival. The “Honey Badger” is still in his prime at just 25 years old. He now joins a defense that is anchored by star defensive ends J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney up front. That said, it is easy to see why Houston may have been the best fit as he will likely have plenty of more opportunities to flex his playmaking prowess with such a formidable pass rush.