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Cardinals' Mathieu hints he won't play in season-opener unless fully healthy

Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu will play it safe in his recovery from a torn ACL sustained last season.

Despite the reservations, Mathieu's rehabilitation is believed to be progressing quickly, and the Cardinals don't appear to have any concerns about his long-term health, as they're reportedly set to make him the highest-paid player at his position.

However, the 24-year-old won't rush back onto the field when the season begins if he doesn't consider himself completely healthy.

"If I'm 90 percent, then I don't necessarily want to go out there," Mathieu said Sunday, according to Kent Somers of azcentral.com. "But if I'm 100 percent, I definitely want to be out there.

“I've already shown who I am and what I am, so my objective is to come back that same person. And if I can’t come back that same person, maybe I should wait until I am that person again."

The Cardinals will open the season on Sunday Night Football against the New England Patriots, kicking off the campaign with a matchup between two of the best teams in the league.

"I don’t even know why (NFL schedule makers) would do that to me, first game on Sunday night?" Mathieu said. "I'm like, 'C'mon man, I can't miss that one.'

"I just want to be mindful and kind of take the passion of it for a moment and just play it smart," Mathieu said. "It's going to be interesting. I’m going to play it patient."

Mathieu is no stranger to serious knee injuries, as he tore both his ACL and LCL in his left knee in 2013.

His inability to fully recover from that injury the following season has influenced Mathieu to take the cautious approach to his return this time around.

"I looked at the stat sheet at the end of the season and thought, 'That's not me.'" he said.

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