Cardinals DB Tyrann Mathieu recently told Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 that he and the team are “eager” to get a long-term deal done this offseason.
Beyond that, Mathieu reiterated that he wants to spend the remainder of his career as a member of the Cardinals.
“We’re both eager, we’re both interested,” Mathieu said on Saturday. “I want to spend the rest of my career here. The biggest thing is getting my knee right, rehabbing and being ready for 2016.”
Mathieu previously told reporters that he wouldn’t mind finishing out his NFL career in Arizona.
“I think this is the perfect place for me,” Mathieu said, per Kyle Odegard. “I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life here.”
Cardinals GM Steve Keim confirmed a few weeks ago that their goal is to sign Mathieu to a long-term extension, but added that he isn’t sure when they’ll get something done with Mathieu.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media previously reported that the Cardinals view signing Mathieu to a long-term contract extension as a “priority” for them during the offseason that will likely make Mathieu the highest paid safety in the NFL.
Unfortunately, Mathieu’s 2016 season was cut short after he suffered a season-ending ACL injury towards the end of the year.
Mathieu, 23, is a former third-round pick of the Cardinals back in 2013, who has quickly become an impact player for one of the best defensive units in the NFL. He is entering the final year of his four-year, $3.052 million rookie contract that included $817,187 guaranteed and stands to make a base salary of $675,000 in 2016.
In 2015, Mathieu appeared in 14 games and recorded 89 tackles, a sack, five interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown, a forced fumble and 16 pass defenses for the Cardinals. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 1 cornerback out of 111 qualifying players.
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