How Much Money Is Tyrann Mathieu Really Worth? | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

"True" cornerbacks like Darrelle Revis, Patrick Peterson, Richard Sherman and Josh Norman arguably receive more adulation, but it's possible Tyrann Mathieu of the Arizona Cardinals is the best defensive back in the NFL.

The 24-year-old can only really be described as a hybrid safety-corner—fast enough to cover receivers one-on-one but strong enough to move into the box as an extra linebacker. That being the case, he's one of the most unique players in the game.

While it's tough to gauge uniqueness, it has to be noted that by all measures Mathieu is simply very good.

Pro Football Focus graded 206 defensive backs who played at least 25 percent of their teams' snaps in 2015. Only one of those 206 players finished with a grade above 18.0. That was Mathieu, whose grade of 28.1 was 57 percent higher than every other cornerback or safety in the league.

Suffice it to say, the Cardinals are likely to do everything in their power to retain Mathieu long-term. His rookie contract expires after the 2016 season, but NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Cards are "deep in negotiations" with the player's camp.

On the surface, it would all seem pretty straightforward. He's young, talented and should only be expected to get better. Pay the man, right? Yes, and the Cardinals likely will, but negotiations could be complicated by the fact Mathieu doesn't play one particular position, as well as his recovery from a second torn ACL in a span of just over two years.

What's he worth? Let's break it all down.

Mathieu was named a first-team All-Pro last year for the first time. Not only is he beloved by the world of analytics, but you merely need to watch the Cardinals defense to see how much of an impact he has on every game.

In spite of his size (5'9", 186 pounds), the LSU product can rush the passer, lay big hits on backs and receivers and make big tackles in addition to possessing the ability to cover receivers out wide and in the slot. He's strong, fast and has unmatched football instincts.

Beyond that PFF grade, the numbers from 2015 back it all up:

• As a pass-rusher, he ranked second among all NFL defensive backs with 11 quarterback pressures.
• In coverage, he had five interceptions while lined up against receivers in the slot. No other corner had more than two. And opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of only 70.3 when throwing his way in the slot.
• He finished the season with 81 tackles, which was more than any other cornerback in football. In fact, only one other corner had more than 70, and only 10 safeties had at least 80. It helped that Mathieu played some safety, but he was actually positioned at corner 67.5 percent of the time.
• His run stop rate of 6.0 also ranked first at the cornerback position and in the top third among safeties who played at least half of their teams' snaps.

"This is a safety making linebacker plays, a safety making cornerback plays, a safety making game-changing plays," said NFL Network's Michael Robinson this week, perfectly summarizing Mathieu's skill set. "He deserves every penny he gets."

How many pennies might he get? When you look at those numbers, you'd have to think he'd wind up with a contract within the same range as Norman, Revis, Peterson and Sherman, all of whom are making between $14 million and $15 million a year.

But the fact that he's not an elite shutdown corner who can consistently smother X and Z receivers has some believing Mathieu might only fetch top safety money. Excluding Eric Berry's franchise tag, there isn't a safety in the game who makes more than $10 million a year.

Of course, ambiguity regarding Mathieu's position isn't the only factor potentially complicating these negotiations. No player is perfect, and there are some small red flags attached to the Honey Badger's employee file.

There was a time when "character concerns" rightly hurt Mathieu's stock. He was dismissed from LSU prior to the 2012 season and spent his junior year out of football. He failed multiple drug tests while with the Tigers, entered a drug rehab program that summer and was arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession that fall.

That explains why the 2011 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and consensus All-American wasn't selected until the third round of the 2013 draft. In the last three years, though, Mathieu has been such an upstanding citizen and teammate that nobody is concerned about his maturity level anymore.

He hasn't failed a drug test or run into any trouble, and he's established himself as a an altruist who takes part in events for charity. Last year, he locked himself in a hot car as part of a campaign to raise awareness regarding dog neglect for PETA.

The only real concern with Mathieu now is the fact he's yet to play a full season. He tore his left ACL and LCL late in the 2013 campaign, missed a pair of games due to a fractured thumb in 2014 and tore his right ACL late last season.

The fact that we're talking about two different knees could be construed as a good sign that he's been hit by bad luck rather than something that is nagging. That said, he risks being labeled an injury-prone player. And it's hard to imagine he'll get as much money now as he would have had he not injured his knee in December.

The complicated

Even if the Cardinals give Mathieu's ligaments the benefit of the doubt, the two sides may wind up in a tug-of-war regarding his position.

It's safe to assume Mathieu has done enough to deserve more than the game's highest-paid safeties.

If that's the case, he should be in line for a deal that pays him more than the $10 million Earl Thomas makes, more than the $54 million Jairus Byrd is slated to make over the course of his six-year deal and more than the $28.5 million Devin McCourty is owed in guaranteed money.

If we're looking at a five-year deal, that probably gives us a minimum of something like $55 million with $30 million guaranteed.

But Mathieu took more than two-thirds of his snaps at corner, and an argument could be made that his value as a "safety on the side" trumps the fact he isn't a prototypical outside shutdown cover man like Revis, Peterson, Sherman and Norman.

At the very least, he should probably be paid more handsomely than every cornerback outside of those four.

Who's next on this list? Joe Haden, who has a five-year, $67.5 million contract with the Cleveland Browns. Mathieu had five picks in 2015, something Haden hasn't done since his rookie campaign in 2010. And PFF hasn't ranked Haden in the top 10 at his position since 2011. There's little doubt Mathieu should be worth more, especially considering that the salary cap has risen by 17 percent since Haden signed his deal in 2014.

So yes, it's complicated, but expect Mathieu to sign a five-year deal worth somewhere between $60 million and $70 million, with at least $30 million guaranteed.

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012.

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