Arizona Cardinals Lose Tyrann Mathieu For Season


Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu tore his ACL in the dominant victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night and is out for the season, according to ESPN.

With a little more than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Mathieu intercepted Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford. That was the moment when the knee injury occurred.

Initially, Tyrann was not aware of the severity of the injury. He actually stated that he was relieved because it felt fine to walk on it. An MRI later proved that the ACL was indeed torn.

Tyrann Mathieu stated that he wanted to wait a couple of weeks before going in for surgery, as he wants the swelling to go down first. He also stated that he wants to come back quick.

Fortunately for Mathieu, he already has experience with this type of injury. Back in 2013, he tore his left ACL and LCL, so Tyrann has a good idea of what to expect in rehabilitation.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians has publicly stated that Mathieu was his favorite player on the roster, and he was quite emotional when making the injury announcement.

When asked about the injury to Tyrann, Cardinals general manager Steve Keirn was quick to say that Mathieu wasn’t just valuable to the defense. He was valuable to the organization.

Bruce Arians
Bruce Arians [Photo by Elsa/Getty Images]
This comes as quite the blow to the Cardinals because this is the best chance that they have at winning the Super Bowl since quarterback Kurt Warner took them to there in 2009.

With a 12-2 record thus far, Arizona has been tearing up the NFC. They would be receiving a lot more media coverage if not for the 14-0 Carolina Panthers and their surprising season.

The final two games for the Arizona Cardinals are going to be rough, as they have the Green Bay Packers this week and the Seattle Seahawks next week. Both are NFL Playoffs teams.

Fortunately for the Cardinals, they don’t really need to win both games. They have already locked down the NFC West divisional title. A win guarantees a first round bye, though.

The Arizona Cardinals have the seventh best defense in the NFL, and much of that is because Tyrann Mathieu is having a career year that includes 89 tackles and five interceptions.

Since he is one of their best players, the Cardinals felt that they needed Mathieu on the field so they can go deep into the NFL Playoffs. Their defense is a little weaker without Tyrann.

A big reason why Tyrann Mathieu was so invaluable to Arizona’s defense is because of his versatility. He can play all six positions in the secondary, while also being a run stopper.

Patrick Peterson
Patrick Peterson [Photo by Elsa/Getty Images]
Mathieu is more than willing to take on any role. He would cover giants like Calvin Johnson or speedsters like Antonio Brown. Tyrann will even cover tight ends like Rob Gronkowski.

Brian Baldinger, an analyst for NFL Media, went as far as to say that Mathieu is pound for pound the best player in the National Football League. That is quite the praise to receive.

Since it is not easy to find players that can do what Mathieu does, the Arizona Cardinals aren’t even going to bother. They just hope that Tony Jefferson can step and hold his own.

Guys like Corey White, Justin Bethel and D.J. Swearinger are more than likely going to get more snaps because of the injury to Tyrann. It’s a bit late to find a free agent replacement.

Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu are as close as brothers. He is taking the injury especially hard. Peterson told the world that they are dedicating the season to Mathieu now.

The Arizona Cardinals are going to miss having Tyrann Mathieu around.

[Photo by Elsa/Getty Images]

Share this article: Arizona Cardinals Lose Tyrann Mathieu For Season
More from Inquisitr