Clay Matthews is one of the most beloved players of all time by Green Bay Packers fans. The feeling is mutual. In fact, Matthews admitted that one of his biggest regrets is not being able to retire from football as a member of the Packers.
Via Rob Demovsky of ESPN:
“I would have loved to finish my career there,” Matthews said Monday as part of a promotional tour for Tide detergent. “Based on my discussions after that 2018 season, I thought we were going to continue moving forward. But yeah the manner in which it did kinda caught me by surprise. Ultimately it is what it is. I had fun in my year in L.A. It was a blast getting to go home and play with some incredible players.”
Clay Matthews last played for the Packers in the 2018 season when the five-year deal he signed with Green Bay that was worth $66 million in 2013 expired. The Packers did not re-sign Matthews after that, leaving the linebacker looking for a job somewhere else. Matthews would eventually land on his feet with the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, inking a two-year deal worth $9.25 million. However, he would be released by the Rams in 2020.
Overall, Clay Matthews played in 195 games in the NFL (143 in Packers threads) and recorded a total of 91.5 sacks and 519 combined tackles.
The Packers selected Matthews in the first round (26th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft and won a Super Bowl with the team two years later.