Saints Respectful of Tyrann Mathieu's Personal Matters; Fans Overreact on Social Media

Originally posted on FanNation Saints News Network
By Kyle T. Mosley | Last updated 7/31/22

Family is first. A player's mental health is important. Right?

The Who Dat Nation should sit down, take a deep breath, relax, and allow Tyrann Mathieu to handle his family business. Fans should appreciate the manner of how the Saints and Mathieu have handled the situation.

NO TIMETABLE

At the start of training camp, the New Orleans Saints head coach told reporters Mathieu wasn't present because, "He's dealing with a personal matter, and so we're going to allow him to do that. He'll come back when he's ready to be back." Again, after Saturday's training camp session, Allen responded to a question of Mathieu's timetable to return by saying, "I do not."

FANS OVERREACT

Saturday afternoon, Saints Twitter (yes, it's a thing and huge) erupted in overreactions, innuendos, and conspiracy theories after the All-Pro safety deleted his Saints- and Chiefs-related posts on Instagram.

We often forget that football players have personal matters outside the gridiron and locker rooms. It's his right to post or un-post whatever he chooses - it doesn't mean he is no longer with the team. Quarterback Kyler Murray deleted his Cardinals content this offseason, remained with Arizona, and later received a massive $200M+ contract extension last week.

DON'T FORGET THE HUMAN ELEMENT

Athletes are men who go through hurts, pains, trials, and tribulations just like you and me - Mathieu isn't any different. I know players of his stature or revered as almost "super-human," however, he's still human. The Saints are patient. The media and the fans should be patient as well. There's no need to overreact.

If Tyrann Mathieu chooses to suit up as a New Orleans Saints player this season, we'll applaud him. If he decides to step away from the game and handle life matters indefinitely, we, too, should celebrate him.

He's a New Orleans native and a great player; this is a time for support. At the end of the day or career, life will always be more important than football.

For the moment, Mathieu deserves his privacy. When will he return?

We shall see.