2023 Player Review: Tyrann Mathieu

The Honey Badger still showing signs of life in his 11th season.

The Honey Badger may not be a carbon copy of his former self, but the New Orleans native is still making his presence known in a huge way.

Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images

In 2023, Tyrann Mathieu continued his upward trend from his strong finish last season. The 12th year safety contributed in a big way in helping the New Orleans Saints defense ascend from second to last in forced turnovers in ‘22 to third in the league in ‘23. Mathieu did this by leading the team once again with four interceptions this past year showing he is still a shell of his old self.

One of his highlighted games came in Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons where Mathieu intercepted Falcons QB Desmond Ridder twice keeping his team within arm’s reach of a win. Mathieu would get the Falcons again in true Saints fashion in the season finale where he would catch his fourth interception and return it 74 yards, just one yard away from a score.

Mathieu would finish his season with 75 total tackles, 9 PBUs, 4 interceptions and a TD. A very solid year for him.

What does the future hold for the “Honey Badger?”

Going into next season, Mathieu is still going to relied on heavily as the Saints don’t have a surefire backup plan behind him. With that being said, Mathieu has definitely surprised some with his play this year compared to last season. He looked a lot more comfortable and was able to make a handful of plays. The team should definitely look to get someone young to develop in the draft but for going into next season Tyrann Mathieu is still going to be the man.