The New Orleans Saints faced an unexpected shake-up this week when veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement just days before training camp began.
The timing caught many around the league off guard, as the 33-year-old closed the book on a distinguished NFL career with his hometown team.
Mathieu had been a consistent presence for the Saints, starting every game across his three seasons in New Orleans.
The decorated safety recently opened up about what drove his decision to step away from professional football during an appearance on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams.
“The older I got, the more challenging and harder it became to leave my kids. Like at first, it was all cool. I get the weekend off. But then, once you get to a certain age, or I guess I should say once you begin to experience different parts of life, I think priorities shift. I think the things that meant the most to me when I was 22, they don’t really mean the most to me at 33. My kids played a big part in that,” Mathieu said.
WHY did Tyrann Mathieu decide to retire???
Appreciate this answer so much:@Mathieu_Era @UpAndAdamsShow @Saints @AZCardinals @HoustonTexans @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/3i6R4gjiT0
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) July 24, 2025
The former LSU standout also shared a touching moment about his five-year-old daughter Mila, who expressed disappointment that she would no longer get to dress up for game days.
Mathieu shares three children with his girlfriend: Noah (12), Tyrann Jr. (11), and Mila (5).
His retirement caps a remarkable 12-year NFL journey that included three All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl championship with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019.
He was a Heisman Trophy finalist at LSU in 2011 before off-field issues led to his dismissal from the program in 2012.
The Arizona Cardinals selected Mathieu in the third round (69th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Over his career, he appeared in 180 regular-season games, recording 834 total tackles, 11 sacks, and 36 interceptions with four returned for touchdowns.
He also forced seven fumbles and recovered eight during stints with the Cardinals (2013–2017), Houston Texans (2018), Chiefs (2019–2021), and Saints (2022–2024).
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