The NFL continues to mourn the loss of former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith, who was callously murdered Saturday night in what appears to be a road-rage incident. 

While the story shocked most, Tyrann Mathieu wasn't all the way surprised upon learning the horrible news. 

That's because the Arizona Cardinals' Pro Bowl safety actually knows Cardell Hayes, the man charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of Smith. Like Hayes, Mathieu was a product of the Louisiana football system. 

And Tyrann was never a fan then... and definitely not now. 

Wow. According to ESPN, Smith's Mercedes-Benz G63 SUV was rear-ended by Hayes's Hummer H2 in New Orleans's Lower Garden District on Saturday night, causing the ex-NFL player to hit another vehicle. That led to a confrontation between the two men and Hayes opening fire on both Smith and his wife, Raquel. 

Smith was pronounced dead on the scene. He was just 34 years old. Raquel was taken to the hospital after being shot twice in the leg.

In a strange turn, Mathieu blamed rap music for being a vehicle that justifies such cold acts, vowing to drop a rap LP of his own to set the record straight on what it is to be a real man.

And Mathieu wasn't the only NFL star who dragged rap into part of the reason for Smith's death.

Buffalo Bills star wide receiver Sammy Watkins agreed.

Ironically, according to the Advocate, Hayes sued the city of New Orleans and won a settlement for the 2005 shooting death of his father by police. Billy Ceravolo, one of the officers involved in that incident, reportedly had dinner with Smith and former Saints running back Pierre Thomas on Saturday night right before Smith was killed. That should have investigators looking into whether this was a planned attack.

But when Twitter trolls tried to stop Mathieu from tweeting about the Hayes-Smith incident before truly knowing the full story, the Cardinals' safety wasn't having it.

Do you agree with Tyrann that rap music is to blame for senseless crimes like this one or did he unfairly drag the genre into this incident?

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(Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)