Arizona Cardinals DB Tyrann Mathieu named 28th best player

Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu was named the 28th best player of the 2016 season.

The third Arizona Cardinal has made his appearance on the NFL Top 100 players of the 2016 season list. Defensive back Tyrann Mathieu made his first appearance on the list after the excellent season he had in 2015.

Personally, 28th seems a bit too low for the season Mathieu had. The primary reason for Mathieu being ranked at number 28 is most likely because of his injury in Week 15. In just 14 games played this season, Mathieu stuffed the stat sheet with 5 interceptions, 89 combined tackles, 1 sack, 1 touchdown and 17 passes defended. Mathieu was also voted to his first Pro Bowl and was named a First-team All-Pro for the second time in his career.

Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Darius Heyward-Bey said it best when he described Mathieu as “the jack of all trades.” A majority of the praises coming The Honey Badger’s way were primarily about his ability to do everything. mathieu has essentially done everything for the Cardinals as he plays both cornerback and safety.

Heyward-Bey continued with saying that Mathieu is a player the league will need to watch out for (if they haven’t already.) Teammate Justin Bethel marveled at Mathieu’s play this season, mentioning how easy he made an interception in the Cardinals’ road win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Mathieu is expected to miss a portion of the season recovering from his second ACL tear. While he won’t be able to help on the field, Mathieu has been coaching his teammates during off season, while embracing his new leadership role following the departures of Rashad Johnson and Jerraud Powers.

If not for his injury, there was a high chance that Mathieu would have won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Given how well his rehab is going how dedicated he is, expect Mathieu to be ready to suit up for the Cardinals much sooner than expected.