Pondering retirement, talking s**t about Chip Kelly and weighing his options. That’s the offseason so far for Evan Mathis, who might end up going back to the Denver Broncos, although the opportunity of signing with the Arizona Cardinals seems to be something he’s seriously considering.
Mathis will celebrate 35 in November. Yet he’s still one of the best left guards in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2014 when playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, and also an All-Pro mention in 2013. He had a very good year and postseason with the Broncos, which ended up being a Super Bowl championship kind of run for him, playing in all 16 games for the Broncos and showing that the injury from the previous season and overall Kelly giving up on him had no effect on his 2015 ability.
Mathis has been thinking about retirement. Playing for 11 seasons takes its toll, with a number of injuries along the way holding him back. But playing is still an option. He’s thinking about going back to Denver, but the two-year offer he got from the Cardinals could be too good to turn down. They also traded offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper to the New England Patriots right about the same time Mathis was visiting with them.
The Broncos haven’t been having the kind of offseason they’ve been hoping for, and retaining Mathis would be something of a win. He signed a one-year deal with them in 2015, making $3.25 million. But the Broncos might not be too eager to give him too long of a deal, which is why he still hasn’t signed with them again, while also contemplating his future in the league. No, there hasn’t been any offer from the San Francisco 49ers.
Mathis played college football at Alabama and was a third round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2005. He moved around quite a bit early on, playing in Carolina, Miami and Cincinnati before landing in Philly in 2011. He had four very good seasons there, often ranked as the best guard in the NFL. He was released by the Eagles before the 2015 season, and signed with the Broncos. He has 130 career games and six more in the playoffs.