Saints Could Trade 3-Time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl Champion Back To Chiefs

The New Orleans Saints don't seem keen on rebuilding, but the rest of the world believes they should.

Following a 5-12 2024 campaign, the Saints lost starting quarterback Derek Carr to retirement. They've got a new, first-time head coach in Kellen Moore, a disastrous salary cap situation, and a lot of holes on both sides of the ball.

Still, the Saints dug their heels in this offseason, scrounging up the cash to sign a few free-agent contracts and failing to make any meaningful trades so far.

Could the Saints choose at any point to switch into a selling mindset? That's what one football writer believes, and safety Tyrann Mathieu might be the name on the chopping block.

On Monday, Last Word On Sports' Anthony Palacios speculated that Mathieu could still be on the move this offseason. And one team Palacios bookmarked as a fit for the three-time Pro Bowler is his old team, the Kansas City Chiefs.

"After losing Justin Reid this offseason, the only move they made to replace him was bringing back Mike Edwards. He’s way past his prime and probably will be a rotational defender," Palacios wrote.

"Bryan Cook and Jaden Hicks are the lockdown starters for the safety unit, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing to add a veteran to the secondary as they’re getting younger."

Mathieu turned 33 last month, but he proved in 2024 that there is still tread on the tires. He played in all 17 of the Saints' games, racking up three interceptions, seven passes defended, and 62 total tackles.

Because he's on an expiring contract, Mathieu would be easy to move and grab a draft pick in return. The issue is that such a move would be an admission that the Saints aren't ready to compete for the playoffs in 2025, and nothing they've done yet this offseason suggests that admission is coming.

Still, if New Orleans gets off to a slow start, Mathieu will almost definitely be on the move at the trade deadline. Kansas City is where he won his Super Bowl ring, so he'd likely be happy to go back.

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