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Cardinals' Mathieu confident in his comeback: 'I'm the best player in the world'

Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Tyrann Mathieu certainly isn't running short on confidence as he sets out to rebound from a frustrating 2016 season.

Early reports out of Arizona Cardinals training camp suggest the star defensive back has been making plays all over the field, and he seems more than ready to again prove himself in the months ahead.

"I'm the best player in the world," Mathieu said, according to the team's official website. "That's how I feel."

The claim is certain to incite some naysayers, as any debate about the top athletes in a given sport undoubtedly would, but the former third-round pick was on a path to greatness prior to a run of injury issues.

Mathieu had made a case of Defensive Player of the Year honors after starting the first 14 games of the 2015 season, recording an impressive 89 tackles, one sack, five interceptions, and 17 passes defensed in a do-it-all role for the Cardinals' defense.

A torn ACL ended his season in Week 15, though, and a series of injury issues limited him to just 10 games in 2016.

Mathieu, who is still just 25 years old entering his fifth NFL season, will have every opportunity to recapture his All-Pro form now that he's back at full strength. If the previous results can be taken as any indication, the sky may still be the limit for his potential looking to the future.

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