Reports: Saints come to terms on 3-year deal with safety Tyrann Mathieu

The next phase of shaping the roster in the offseason has started with the close of the NFL Draft.

The New Orleans Saints have come to terms on a contract with free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu, reports ESPN’s Mike Triplett.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the contract amounts to three years at a total of $33 million with $18 million guaranteed.

Deal is now in place: Saints and Tyrann Mathieu officially reached agreement on a three-year, $33 million contract, including $18 million fully guaranteed, per sources. Language still needs to be finalized and the deal signed. But Mathieu is returning home to New Orleans.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 2, 2022

Mathieu, the former LSU and St. Augustine High School star, visited Saints headquarters on April 6. New Orleans did not draft any safeties this past weekend.

New Orleans lost their starting safeties earlier this offseason with Marcus Williams’ signing by the Ravens and Malcolm Jenkins’ retirement. The Saints fill one of the holes by inking free agent ex-Jets starter Marcus Maye.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen said this weekend that he sees Maye as more of a strong safety so the soon-to-turn 30-year old Mathieu would fit into the free safety role. Both players bring versatility to the back end of a secondary.

Mathieu, the third-round pick of the Cardinals in 2013 out of LSU, played for the Texans as a free agent signee on a one-year deal in 2018. He joined the Chiefs in 2019.