The Packers are unlikely to re-sign pass rusher Clay Matthews, according to Bob McGinn of BobMcGinnFootball.com, who reports Green Bay would let Matthews walk in free agency if the season ended today.
Matthews, 32, is in the final season of a five-year, $66MM extension he signed in April 2013. Next year, he’s scheduled to earn a base salary of $10.4MM and count for roughly $11.338MM on Green Bay’s salary cap. A new deal for Matthews could reduce his 2018 cap figure, especially if it contains a signing bonus that would prorate over the life of the pact, and Matthews recently indicated his representatives have discussed an extension with the Packers.
“My agency and upstairs have had talks,” Matthews said. “We’ll see where it goes. At the same time, I’ll just go out there and do my things and let the pieces fall where they may. “I’ve been here going on 10 years, so I’d like to obviously add a few more to that. I’m not in control of that. All I can control is what I do on Sundays, and hopefully it’s a big year.”
Of course, the primary reason there are conflicting reports on Matthews is that the season isn’t over: the Packers don’t have any impetus to address Matthews’ contact at this point, but the veteran linebacker could conceivably change the club’s mind over the course of the year. While Green Bay may be inclined to let Matthews leave via free agency next spring, it doesn’t appear that any strategy is set in stone.
As Matthews has aged, the Packers have reduced his snaps. Over the past two years, Matthews averaged only 566 snaps per season; conversely, from 2012-15, he saw action on 801 plays per year. That reduced usage may have helped Matthews’ play, as he graded as the NFL’s No. 22 pass rusher last season, per Pro Football Focus, which assigned Matthews his best marks since the 2012 campaign.
Hard to re-sign a guy who the NFL decided can’t touch the QB without a roughing the passer
Dirtiest player in the league.
You’re the dumbest poster on this site
Have you heard of Ndamukong Suh?
Oh no, ray_derek has crossed over to football now?
He has long been regarded as one of the worst trolls on the baseball posts, now football fans have to put up with his uninformed commentary?
ray_derek has moved from trolling baseball posts to trolling football posts?
How is he scheduled to earn $10.4M next year if he’s in the final year of his deal?
I think they have a team option but I’m not 100% sure
No, those are his figures doe this year. That whole paragraph should be rewritten to describe this years cap.
Or just go to Spotrac over Over the Cap to get the contract details.
I believe Gruden would consider him old enough for the Raiders and he will cost a loss less than Mack would have.
Unless he takes a massive pay cut….he gone
Willing to take a paycut? Because that’s the only way how.
I love how players say they “don’t have control over” whether he stays or not. Yes, your agent does the work for you, but ultimately you get the decision. So, yes, you do have control over it. These canned answers kill me…