Clay Matthews and the Green Bay Packers had a very disappointing season this past year. They missed the playoffs and fired their head coach of over a decade, Mike McCarthy.

The team had to move on from him because they desperately needed a culture change. Their superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers had begun to lose his trust in the offense. Many of McCarthy's play calls Rodgers would audible on immediately. He no longer had control over his own team, and their lack of production showed.

This offseason they went out and hired Matt LaFleur from the Tennessee Titans. This past season he was their offensive coordinator. Formerly, he worked under Sean McVay in the Washington Redskins coaching tree. He's an offensive-minded head coach. A complete switch in philosophy from McCarthy.

LaFleur provides a more modern offensive scheme in Green Bay. His West Coast offense is intermixed with lots of pre-snap movement and option routes. It will help Rodgers and his weapons in DaVante Adams and Jimmy Graham to succeed in a fast-paced offense.

LaFleur and the Packers have chosen to retain Mike Pettine as the defensive coordinator. Pettine spent his first season with the Green Bay Packers in 2018 after a hiatus from the league for several seasons. Pettine spent 2014-2015 as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. He's known as a viable play caller. It's not very surprising he stayed on.

However, there has been some change in the Packers' defense. They traded away Ha-Ha Clinton Dix to the Washington Redskins, as they desperately needed a rental at safety. Their dynamic pass rusher in Julius Peppers just retired. They will be reshaping their defense perhaps even more so than their offensive personnel.

This begs the question. Should the organization bring back franchise heirloom Clay Matthews? Matthews was one of the team's best defensive players.

He's been there for a decade, along with McCarthy. This past season, however, he wasn't very effective, only collecting 43 tackles and 3.5 sacks. In his prime, he had 10+ sacks four times. At age 32, his athleticism is only waning further.

The Packers should move on from Matthews. Unless he is willing to play for the veteran minimum and not be in the starting lineup, he no longer is not their best option.

In this upcoming draft and free agency, they'll have a bevy of options to select from. DeMarcus Lawrence and Jadaveon Clowney are both high-end pass rushers, as well as Za'Darius Smith and Ezekial Ansah as more cost-effective options.

Green Bay is going through a host of changes. Perhaps it's time to let the past go. The Packers should pass on Matthews and look elsewhere for a starting pass rusher.