Eagles Hold Virtual Meeting with Tyrann Mathieu

Things seem to be heating up when it comes to Tyrann Mathieu and the Eagles are in the mix for the four-time All-Pro safety

A day after meeting with his hometown New Orleans Saints, Mathieu, 29, had a virtual get-together with the Philadelphia brass, according to NFL Media.

Although undersized at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Mathieu is the type of moveable piece Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon craves on the back end with the ability to toggle between the box and two-high looks, and even some slot work mixed in for good measure.

“The Honey Badger” would easily be the most versatile player in the back seven for Philadelphia since Malcolm Jenkins.

The issue would obviously be the contract. Although still under 30, Mathieu has played a lot of football and will be entering his 10th NFL season come September.

The thought around the league is that Mathieu has lost a step when it comes to speed and the fact he’s still on the market with his reputation is telling.

In 2021 with Kansas City, Mathieu was graded as the 38th best safety in football by Pro Football Focus and received below-average marks in run support but still proved to be as savvy as ever in coverage, finishing 14th in that phase.

At the height of his career in Arizona back in 2015, Mathieu was graded as the No. 1 safety in all of football by PFF.

The Eagles have an obvious need for a safety and a league source told SI.com’s Eagles Today that the organization has been keeping an eye on the Mathieu market over the past number of weeks with the hope that the veteran’s demands would come down a bit.

The fact that Mathieu got out of the Saints’ building in Metairie, LA is a positive development for the Eagles, who got the LSU product to meet with them pandemic style via Zoom.

Sources: Free agent DB Tyrann Mathieu had a virtual visit with the #Eagles, as Philly has emerged as a prime location for one of the top free agents. The Honey Badger visited the #Saints this week, and now has done a zoom with Philly. His market is heating up.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 7, 2022

"I don't think they really need me, but it would be good to go back home and help them win," Mathieu told New Orleans-area reporters after his meeting with the Saints.

New Orleans lost Marcus Williams to Baltimore, who outbid the Eagles, in free agency and saw Jenkins retire. The Saints did sign Marcus Maye and Mathieu's former teammate with the Chiefs, Daniel Sorensen.

Both of the Eagles’ starters from last season at safety – veterans Rodney McLeod and Anthony Harris – entered the new league year as free agents and Philadelphia re-signed Harris to a one-year deal.

McLeod is not expected to be back, according to a team source, and the dalliance with Mathieu is a clear indication of that.

If the Eagles are unable to get something done at safety – be it with a player like Mathieu or in the draft – there is always a slight chance Philadelphia could do a 180 and revisit the McLeod situation because the veteran is very well-liked and is considered both a team and community leader.

For now, Harris and the emerging Marcus Epps are Gnanon’s top options at safety with K’Von Wallace and special-teams standout Andre Chachere as the top backups.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen