After responding to former New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, current Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu deleted tweets he posted Monday night.

It started when Gardner-Johnson quote-tweeted the Madden 25 safety ratings. Mathieu is the fifth-highest rated safety in the video game as a 91 overall.

“Got replaced by #5 (see where they at), #7 couldn’t live up to the hype (last year was evidence)! The rest , I got way more ball production sooooooo WHEN MADDEN DROPPING!?”

Gardner-Johnson called out Mathieu and Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard. He was inferring that the team hasn’t been as successful since he played in 2021. The former Saints safety played in three games with the Detroit Lions last season due to injury. He tied the league-high in interceptions during his 2022 season (six) with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mathieu initially responded with a simple tweet. “I never hated on nobody! That’s why I’m blessed.” He kept that up on his twitter, he deleted the following posts.

He included images of statistics backing up his top-five ranking as a safety. Including Next Gen Stats’ post on the players with the fewest targets expected points added (EPA), where he ranked second in the NFL in 2023. He also mentioned his Pro Football Focus grade and that his 33 interceptions since 2013 are tied for the most in the NFL.

“Tyrann mathieu living off name but every time someone post a list I’m usually on it, if you a hater just say that,” Mathieu said in a now deleted post, via Bleacher Report. “And for the record my down season will get some dudes paid 40 million!! Stay dangerous !”

“32 years young, and I’m still here!!!,” Mathieu said in another deleted tweet, via Bleacher Report. “And I got more miles on my legs than any DB in the NFL. I been doing this shit since yall was in middle school. You should salute me!”

Mathieu enters his third season with New Orleans. He’s been named a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler on three occasions, none of which were with the Saints. Other than tying the league lead in interceptions in 2022, Gardner-Johnson hasn’t done much to stand out as one of the league’s best safeties. He hasn’t made any Pro Bowl or All-Pro teams.

It’s not the first time Mathieu deleted tweets about another NFL player. He and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady got in each other’s faces during Super Bowl LV in 2021. Mathieu later tweeted that Brady “called me something I won’t repeat. But yeah I’ll let all the media throw me under [the] bus as if I did something or said something to him.” The former Kansas City Chief quickly deleted the tweet.

New Orleans drafted Gardner-Johnson in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. He started 31 games in his three seasons. He and Mathieu briefly crossed paths in the 2022 offseason before Gardner-Johnson was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles due to a contract dispute.

Mathieu was drafted in the third round of the 2013 draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He was recently ranked as the 23rd-best college football player of the 21st century by ESPN. He was dismissed from the Tigers after two dominant seasons due to multiple failed drug tests.