Tyrann Mathieu is clearly not a fan of Shedeur Sanders‘ impending appearance in the Pro Bowl.
This Tuesday, the Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback will figure prominently in the pre-Super Bowl showcase despite throwing seven touchdowns against ten interceptions and posting a league-worst passer rating of 68.1 (minimum 200 attempts).
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His nomination has sparked much debate and criticism, even drawing comparisons to when Tyler Huntley made the cut in 2022/23 despite starting just four games as Lamar Jackson’s injury stand-in. Mathieu counts himself as among the many detractors, saying on last week’s episode of his “In the Bayou” podcast:
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“Oh my goodness! That’s what I don’t like. We cannot reward mediocrity… If you have more interceptions than touchdowns, there’s no way you should be rewarded. That’s crazy.”
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Tyrann Mathieu weighs in on Saints bringing in another wide receiver to pair up with Chris Olave
In the same podcast appearance, Tyrann Mathieu shared some thoughts on his former team’s offseason plans.
The New Orleans Saints began a new era under center in 2025 after Derek Carr’s retirement. They initially paraded Spencer Rattler before benching him for rookie Tyler Shough after eight games.
The team finished 6-11 — once again dead-last in the NFC South, but one bright spot was the resurgence of wide receiver Chris Olave. After repeated concussions in 2024 nearly forced him out of the sport, he set career-highs in every relevant category and was named an All-Pro for the first time in his career.
With 2026 now on the horizon, NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill floated the possibility of GM Mickey Loomis bringing in another playmaker to complement Olave — like Brandon Aiyuk. Wen asked about it, Mathieu said (discussion starts at 56:00 in the video below):
“No. …I think Olave needs somebedy, like.., Allen Robinson, guys like Keenan Allen.”
He pointed to Aiyuk’s contract situation — the San Francisco 49ers voided the former All-Pro’s 2026 guarantees in December — as a major reason:
“I mean, he got to be making $30 million. … Ain’t happening.”
The Saints’ other leading wideout, Rashis Shaheed, was traded tot he Seattle Seahawks in the middle of the 2025 season.
Edited by Andre Castillo
