A staple of the New Orleans Saints' defense has stepped away from the game. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Tyrann Mathieu has announced his decision to retire. The news comes at the most inopportune time for the Saints: right before the start of training camp.
With Mathieu out of the picture, rookie safety Jonas Sanker will have to step up far earlier than anybody could have expected.
The third round pick was expected to learn from Mathieu this year. Instead of just seeing the field often, Sanker may become a full time starter Week 1.