The “Honey Badger ” is an exciting player when healthy but his lack of availability is a huge problem for the Arizona Cardinals
Another Sunday is here, which means another crucial game for the Arizona Cardinals. They entered into their contest against the Miami Dolphins with practically the whole team healthy. Everyone except Tyrann Mathieu that is.
The Cards’ star safety/slot cornerback is missing yet another game. The latest injury to the “Honey Badger ” is to his shoulder. Surgery’s a possibility, although Bruce Arians said at his presser that his going under the knife may not be necessary.
Mathieu’s absence from games is becoming frighteningly routine. It’s been said that a player’s greatest ability is his availability. Based on that theory, Mathieu’s career is turning into one big disappointment.
The fourth-year pro’s misfortunes started during his rookie year in 2013. He was a leading candidate for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award when he tore his ACL in December. The loss was a huge one for the Arizona defense, and the team failed to make the playoffs.
The knee injury of 2013 had a carryover effect in 2014. Mathieu’s play dropped a level, and he admitted that he never felt fully recovered. Things got worse when he underwent thumb surgery in December, causing him to miss more time.
He finally got healthy in 2015 and his play on the field reflected it. He was voted to the Pro Bowl and was a legitimate MVP candidate. It was a true indication of the type of player he was capable of being.
But once again, the month of December proved unlucky for Mathieu. During a blowout victory against the Philadelphia Eagles, he again blew out his ACL. He leaped to snag a Sam Bradford interception and landed awkwardly, a non-contact injury.
Mathieu again has been just a shell of the player he was in 2015 this season. He seemed to be improving a bit when he suffered the shoulder injury in October. He returned against the Atlanta Falcons only to suffer a setback.
The way this season has gone for him, it may not be a bad idea for Mathieu to just pack it in. He was rewarded with a 62.5 million extension in August, and the Cardinals need to protect that investment. If that means shutting him down for the rest of the season to do so, then so be it.