Tyrann Mathieu Says He Received Death Threats for Comments on Will Smith's Death

Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu stated Monday he's received death threats since speaking out about the death of former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith.

Sean Wagner-McGough of CBSSports.com passed along the New Orleans native's comments from The Rich Eisen Show about the reaction to calling Smith's alleged murderer, Cardell Hayes, a "coward" on social media:

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I think it was one of those situations where he was really at the wrong place at the wrong time, and he bumped into the wrong person. I know the guy personally and, Rich, it's not really for me to put his personal business on air. Because when I came out yesterday and called him a coward, I received death threats from guys in New Orleans—from his relatives. And I'm thinking to myself..."What do you guys want from me? I'm only here to speak the truth."

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Eisen provided more of the conversation with Mathieu, who also discussed the limited amount of time he spends in his hometown whenever he returns:

Greg Botelho and Eliott C. McLaughlin of CNN reported Smith was found dead with six gunshot wounds Saturday night. It's unclear exactly what happened leading up to the incident, and Hayes' attorney, John Fuller, said his client was a hit-and-run victim that night, not an aggressor.

Mathieu spoke out about a variety of issues after word of Smith's death began to spread, as noted by Lindsey Foltin of FoxSports.com. That included a since-deleted comment about Hayes, stating he knew him and called him a "hating [expletive] coward."

Saints head coach Sean Payton stated afterward he believes the gun culture in the United States must change, according to Jarrett Bell of USA Today: "Two hundred years from now, they're going to look back and say, 'What was that madness about?' The idea that we need them to fend off intruders…people are more apt to draw them [in other situations]. That's some silly stuff we're hanging on to."

He added: "If this opinion in Louisiana is super unpopular, so be it."

Saints quarterback Drew Brees discussed the situation with Peter King of The MMQB, highlighting the rise in New Orleans homicides and how it's caused people to become desensitized. He thinks the root of the problem is a lack of compassion between individuals.

"People are going to make arguments now about gun control," Brees said. "And it just seems to me...this is about the way...the way human beings treat other human beings."

Ultimately, the situation has put the city in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, and some of its most high-profile current and former citizens are left searching for answers.

The fact Mathieu stated he's been forced to deal with death threats since making his comments only makes a difficult situation tougher to fully grasp.