The New York Giants need to upgrade their secondary this offseason. Starting safety Jason Pinnock will be an unrestricted free agent, potentially opening another hole on the back end of their defense. General manager Joe Schoen is no stranger to making offseason trades. Perhaps he could upgrade at safety by trading for a former All-Pro.
Could the Giants trade for Saints S Tyrann Mathieu
Pro Football Focus named New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu one of the top-15 trade candidates in the NFL this off-season:
“Another Saint makes this list, and that’s no coincidence,” PFF’s Bradley Locker explained. “New Orleans needs to find savvy ways to shed payroll and make this roster more sustainably good moving forward. At 32, Mathieu doesn’t appear to be a solution for years to come.”
Considering the Giants’ need at the position, plus their tendency to pull off blockbuster trades in the offseason (Darren Waller in 2023, Brian Burns in 2024), New York could be a likely landing spot for Mathieu. Additionally, the Saints are projected to start the offseason $54 million over the salary cap, so moving on from some of their veteran stars will be a necessity. Mathieu could be one of their most tradeable assets.
The Giants, meanwhile, are projected to have $43 million in salary cap space this offseason. They could afford to take on Mathieu’s deal. Locker explained the potential cap implications:
“With Mathieu set to count for $11.3 million against the cap next season, the Saints would be smart to prevent that number from being enforced. Trading him after June 1 would mean only $4 million in dead cap each of the next two years, which feels like the best possible mutual outcome.”
Despite his advanced age, Mathieu would still be an upgrade for the Giants
Mathieu is not the player he once was. The 32-year-old former three-time All-Pro has seen his performance decline considerably during his tenure with the Saints. His last Pro Bowl campaign was in 2021, his final season with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and two-time Pro Bowl selection.
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Since joining New Orleans, Mathieu has not received any such end-of-year accolades. However, he has still proven to be a consistent and reliable defensive back for the Saints. He has played in all 17 in all three seasons with New Orleans and totaled 62 combined tackles with seven pass defenses and three interceptions in 2024.
Mathieu has always been a superbly versatile talent who can align all over the defensive backfield. He is a valued leader and has plenty of experience to share with the Giants’ young secondary. If he could be had in a low-cost trade, the potential rewards for the Giants far exceed any potential risks.