Long-term deal for Cardinals' Mathieu imminent, says teammate Peterson
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson believes his teammate and close friend Tyrann Mathieu will receive a new long-term contract in the near future.
Mathieu was named a first-team All-Pro in 2015, recording 89 tackles, five interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble before a torn ACL ended his campaign. The 24-year-old is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2016 season.
Peterson, who signed a five-year extension worth $70 million in July 2014, advised Mathieu to remain patient, while the two parties attempt to draft a new deal before the season kicks off.
"I was in kind of a similar situation when it was time for me to sign a new deal and obviously wanting a new deal," Peterson said on PFT Live. "Like I tell Tyrann all the time, let his agent handle that and also it's gonna be a long, drawn out process, you just have to be patient. I know it will happen, just don't know when it will happen, but the Cardinals organization understands what Tyrann means to the football team, to the community, and when you have a top-notch player like that, that just doesn't happen overnight.
"It takes time and we have great ownership upstairs and the general manager and the president and owner of the team. I mean those guys know at the end of the day what Tyrann means and like I said, I'm quite sure that the deal will get done here pretty soon."
Peterson is one of the premier cornerbacks in the league, but isn't concerned that Mathieu, who vacillated between safety and slot cornerback with equal fluency, may get paid more than him.
"I want him to get every penny that he deserves and if the team obviously wants to pay him more than me, I don't have a problem with that at all because Tyrann's very, very gifted," Peterson said. "He's very talented, he means so much to this defense, as you can tell. I believe we missed a beat last year when he got knocked out for the rest of the season with the ACL injury. But I don't have a problem with that at all. If they feel he's worth more than me, it is what it is."
Peterson and Mathieu starred at LSU together and their chemistry carried over to the NFL, where they emerged as leaders on one of the NFL's top defenses. As the Cardinals prepare for another deep playoff run, a new deal for Mathieu should be one of general manager Steve Keim's top priorities.