GREEN BAY, Wis. – Clay Matthews knows what he signed up for – with the emphasis on signed.
When the Green Bay Packers outside linebacker put his name on a five-year, $66 million contract extension on April 17, 2013, instantly he would be held to a different standard – the highest-paid-linebacker-in-the-NFL standard.
It was fine with him then. It’s fine with him now, even at age 31 and as questions abound about his injury history, which last year resulted in one of the least productive seasons of his six-time Pro Bowl career.
“I’ve always been the type of guy who has tried to live up to that and appreciated that,” Matthews said this week just days before his ninth NFL season opener on Sunday against Seattle. “At times there can be a lot of weight put on your shoulders, but you want to show your worth.”
This season, that’s $11.1 million including salary and bonuses. Next season, the final year of the deal, it’s $11.4 million. Before the 2018 season, the Packers could cut ties with Matthews and not have a single dollar count on their salary cap.
That may have nothing to do with why Matthews’ approach to this season sounds a lot like 2014, when he was coming off the twice-broken thumb that cost him four games at midseason plus the regular-season finale and playoff loss.
But here is Matthews, ready and practically pleading for a repeat of 2014 – perhaps his last truly dominant season. That year, Matthews' last with double-digit sacks (11), he made a midseason switch to inside linebacker, and it led to a defensive turnaround that the Packers rode all the way into overtime of the NFC Championship Game. But even in that crushing loss at Seattle, Matthews had to take himself out for three series in the fourth quarter because of rib and ankle injuries – something that brought massive criticism upon him.
His return to outside linebacker last season didn’t produce a flurry of sacks. In fact, he recorded a career low for a season (five). Injuries popped up early; Week 2 ankle and hamstring injuries cost him four of the next seven games, and then a crushing block – one he said was dirty, by Eagles offensive lineman Allen Barbre, Matthews' former teammate in Green Bay – separated his shoulder and left him playing practically one-armed for the stretch run of the regular season.
“Whatever’s said outside of here is whatever,” Matthews said. “Like in 2013 when I broke my thumb, had to have surgery and missed like five games, you put a little more emphasis on showing everyone this is me. The same goes with this [year].”
Matthews can’t say for sure what would happen if he were healthy – OK, no one’s completely healthy, but healthy by NFL standards – for a full 16 games plus, if possible, the playoffs.
But he has an inkling.
“It’s like, listen, I’m healthy. Put me out there for 16 games and good things are going to happen,” Matthews said. “But just to get back to your point, that’s a part of being a playmaker in this league. You want to make plays, you’re going to make plays, you live up to that and you accept that responsibility.”
Until last week, when the Packers signed veteran Ahmad Brooks, it looked most of the pass-rush responsibility would fall on Matthews and Nick Perry. In fact, Matthews said as much late in training camp.
“I think what it does is it gives us another option,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. “You watch us last year and we had a rotation and four guys that played a lot. Two of those guys aren’t with us any longer. The addition of Ahmad, he’s an experienced guy that we feel can rush the passer, so he gives you another guy with experience that’s had production, and he’s played at a high level on a very good defense.”
Still, Matthews said that while Brooks gives the Packers much-needed depth, he’s “sticking to the truth that the majority of the pressures and the fact that guys getting after the quarterback are going to have to come from Nick and myself.”
At age 31, is that too much to ask of Matthews?
“I don’t think there’s much that’s different physically,” Matthews said as he walked out of the Lambeau Field locker room on Thursday. “I feel like I can do absolutely everything that I was able to do when I was 24. The only thing that’s changed is that I appreciate it more. I appreciate this opportunity. I appreciate every time I get to go out there, and I think I’m able to put it in perspective more. But as far as a player, I honestly feel like there’s been no change.”
