William Clay Matthews III is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). The six-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro played primarily with the Green Bay Packers.
Advertisement
He is the all-time official quarterback sack leader for the Green Bay Packers. Matthews was considered a top prospect for the 2009 NFL Draft. He was ultimately selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the draft (26th overall) after the team traded up to make the selection.
In his rookie year, Matthews recorded 10 sacks while playing outside linebacker. He topped that total in 2010 with 13.5 sacks, helping the Packers to their Super Bowl XLV victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A member of the Matthews family of football players, he is the brother of former NFL linebacker Casey Matthews, the son of former NFL linebacker Clay Matthews Jr., and the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews.
Advertisement
Did Clay Matthews retire?
Clay Matthews says his playing days are over, indicates he would have liked finishing career in Green Bay. Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews said that while he hadn’t officially retired from the NFL, his playing days were definitively over.
Matthews last played in the NFL in 2019 with the Los Angeles Rams, his lone season with any team other than the Packers.
With Green Bay, he made six Pro Bowls in 10 seasons, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2010. That season, of course, the Packers won the Super Bowl, with a memorable Matthews forced fumble helping to solidify the win.
“I had a few other offers after for the 2020 season, but we had just moved to L.A., and we had just had our third child, and it was the middle of COVID, so there were a lot of unknowns,” Matthews said.
“Ultimately, there wasn’t a situation out there that made me want to relocate the family again. I wanted to focus on the next chapter, which is being a dad and being home a lot more.”
Leave a Reply