Safety Tyrann Mathieu agreed to sign a three-year deal with the New Orlean Saints. Ed Zurga/Associated Press
The New Orleans Saints and Tyrann Mathieu agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract, reuniting the All-Pro safety with his hometown team, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The person confirmed the contract, first reported by ESPN.com, on condition of anonymity because it was not yet signed. It includes $18 million guaranteed, a sizeable investment for a safety who turns 30 next week.
The Saints had been searching for help at the position after Marcus Williams signed with the Ravens in free agency and Malcom Jenkins announced his retirement in March. The only defensive back they drafted was Tennessee’s Alontae Taylor in the second round, but he is expected to remain at his natural cornerback position.
By signing Mathieu after Monday’s deadline, he will not count against the Saints in the formula for compensatory picks.
Mathieu spent the past three seasons in Kansas City, where he helped the Chiefs make three consecutive AFC title games, reach two Super Bowls and win their first championship in 50 years. And the two sides had discussed an extension during last offseason, but they were never close to reaching an agreement, leaving Mathieu’s status uncertain last season.
It became clear he would not return when the Chiefs signed former Texans safety Justin Reid early in free agency.
“When we approached him, our expectation was this was a longshot for us, but let’s see if we can get something done. But totally understand his position and where he was,” Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach said. “And then you go into the season and the player, and the organization know that once it gets into that next phase of evaluation and the process of having guys under contract and holding a franchise tag with Orlando Brown, it becomes tricky. You have to be able to pivot-shift quickly, and we did that. But certainly, can’t say enough about Tyrann and how we feel about him.”
Mathieu was raised by his grandparents in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans, then became a star football player and track athlete for St. Augustine High School, and he continues have deep ties to the city that brought him up.
STEELERS: Pittsburgh signed free-agent safety Damontae Kazee to a one-year contract.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Kazee spent the 2021 season in Dallas, making 52 tackles and finishing with two interceptions in 17 games, with 15 starts.
The 28-year-old Kazee began his career in Atlanta, playing four seasons for the Falcons from 2017-20. He tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions in 2018.
Kazee will compete with Terrell Edmunds for playing time. The Steelers re-signed Edmunds – their first-round pick in 2017 – to a one-year deal last month.
FALCONS: Atlanta picked up right guard Chris Lindstrom’s $13.2 million fifth-year option while declining the option on right tackle Kaleb McGary.
The Falcons also announced a $51 million, three-year contract extension with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, a two-time Pro Bowl selection. Jarrett’s contract, which includes a guaranteed $34.5 million, continues through the 2025 season.
Jarrett had 59 tackles in starting all 17 games in 2021. He had only one sack, ending a streak of four seasons with four or more sacks.
OFFICIALS: The NFL hired 10 new on-field officials, including the first Asian American to officiate in the league and a former player.
Lo van Pham joins the NFL from the Big 12 Conference.
He was born in Vietnam and after a stop in the Philippines, moved to the United States when he was 7.
Mike Morton becomes the third former NFL player on the 2022 roster of officials, joining Nate Jones and Terry Killens. Morton was drafted in the fourth round in 1995 by the Raiders, and was a linebacker for them from 1995-98. He also played in St. Louis, Green Bay (2000) and Indianapolis during his seven-year NFL career.
INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS: The NFL has added four players from Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom to each team in the AFC South as part of the league’s International Player Pathway Program.
The NFL announced that defensive back Marcel Dabo from Germany will join Indianapolis, defensive lineman Adedayo Odeleye from the United Kingdom to Houston, tight end Thomas Odukoya from the Netherlands with Tennessee and defensive back Ayo Oyelola from the United Kingdom with Jacksonville.
BEARS: The Chicago Bears appointed Jeff King and Kansas City Chiefs executive Trey Koziol co-directors of player personnel under new general manager Ryan Poles.
King, a tight end who played seven seasons in the NFL with Carolina and Arizona after starring at Virginia Tech, started as a scouting intern for the Bears in 2015. He was hired full time in 2016 as a pro scout and got promoted to assistant director of pro scouting in 2019 under former GM Ryan Pace.
Koziol is from the Chicago area and has 14 years of front office experience with Tennessee and Kansas City. He joined the Chiefs in 2013 as an area scout and spent the past year as assistant director of college scouting.
COWBOYS: Texas Tech kicker Jonathan Garibay, whose 62-yard field goal last season was the longest winning kick in the final minute in FBS history, is among 20 undrafted rookie free agents to agree to contracts with the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas released Greg Zuerlein in a cost-cutting move but hoped to bring him back. Zuerlein signed with the New York Jets instead. Chris Naggar, a second-year pro, is the other kicker on the roster.
The Cowboys also added one of their 30 predraft visits as an undrafted rookie in Florida A&M safety Markquese Bell.
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