Tyrann Mathieu tears ACL, done for season

Tyrann Mathieu tore his ACL on the Arizona Cardinals’ final defensive snap in Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles is unfortunately out for the season.

The Arizona Cardinals have suffered a major blow despite being a 12-2 football team. On the final defensive play from scrimmage defensive back Tyrann Mathieu tore his ACL trying to return a Sam Bradford interception in the Cardinals game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Up by 23 points, Mathieu picked off Bradford‘s pass attempt to wide receiver Riley Cooper. As he came down with the intercepted pass, Mathieu tripped over his own two feet and suffered an ACL tear, thus ending his 2015 NFL season.

This is devastating news for the Cardinals organization who have the roster to win Super Bowl 50. Their roster is largely the same as it was last year before injury after injury ruined their promising 2014 NFL campaign. Losing arguably the most versatile defensive back in football in Mathieu seriously hurts the Cardinals as they are about to embark on a legitimate Super Bowl run in a few weeks.

Head coach Bruce Arians may take a great deal of criticism for having his starters in the game up 23 points late in the fourth quarter. However, Arians is the type of football coach that doesn’t have his players take plays off. This isn’t the NBA where minutes need to be effectively managed, but losing Mathieu in a game well out of reach for the Eagles is a crushing blow to the Cardinals’ supreme secondary.

Arizona has locked up a first-round bye in the NFC Playoffs, but Arians and the rest of his coaching staff will have to figure out how to win a Super Bowl with The Honey Badger wreaking havoc in the secondary for the Cardinals the rest of this season.