Arizona Cardinals safeties: A 2015 review
By Scott Allen
The Arizona Cardinals have a good group of safeties but it was the absence of one that made all the difference
The Arizona Cardinals had a really decent group of safeties in 2015. Unfortunately when Tyrann Mathieu went down in December with a torn ACL, it spelled the end of success for the group who struggled the last couple of weeks and into the playoffs.
Even without Mathieu though the group still was a force on the field at times. Mathieu though is clearly the leader of this group. Here is a look at the safeties last season and their outlook for 2016.
Tyrann Mathieu
What more can you say about this guy? It has been well chronicled about he has made something of himself after off-field problems hurt his draft status. The Cardinals took a chance on him and the dividends have paid off.
In 14 games in 2015, Mathieu had 89 tackles. He also had 17 passes defensed and five interceptions. He forced a fumble and scored on a pick six. His torn ACL may have derailed him at the end of the season but it sure didn’t make the stat sheet look bad even after missing the last two games.
Mathieu has carried himself well off the field too. He’s been involved in the community. This is a guy the Cardinals want around for a long time. There is talk of giving “Honey Badger” a contract extension. He deserves it. He has said he wants to remain a Cardinals player for a long time. It will happen.
Next: Jefferson steps up