A longtime Green Bay Packers linebacker who spent 2019 with his hometown team is now back on the market. Should the Packers consider a return?
Numerous reports including Mike Garofolo of NFL.com say that the Los Angeles Rams are releasing Clay Matthews.
#Rams are also releasing LB Clay Matthews, source says
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 19, 2020
The Packers have a definite need at linebacker with the free agent departures of both Kyler Fackrell and Blake Martinez. The Packers picked up Christian Kirksey at linebacker, who previously was with Cleveland.
In 2019, Matthews started all 13 games he played in. He had eight total sacks, 4.5 more than he did in 2018 with Green Bay. He had six fewer tackles with the Rams (37 in 2019) than he had with the Packers in 2018 (43).
Matthews forced two fumbles in 2019, compared to one in 2018.
Pro Football Focus gave Matthews a 54.2 rating last year, compared to 65.3 the year before in Green Bay.
In this 10 years Matthews played in Green Bay, he started 137 of the 143 games he played in. He forced 21 combined turnovers, created 83.5 sacks and 482 combined tackled.
Matthews was named to the Pro Bowl six times, but none since 2015. He also was first-team All-Pro in 2010, the year the Packers won Super Bowl XLV.
As for whether he should be that linebacker, it’s all dependent on the cost and return he might give.
In 2019, the Rams paid him $3.5 million – nearly an $8 million drop-off from his 2018 earnings in Green Bay.
What cost is worthy? Is there a worthy cost? The Packers will need to consider it.