No player in the NFL has been more affected by the league’s new roughing the passer rules than Clay Matthews, and it sounds like the Green Bay Packers star is beyond fed up with it.
Jay Glazer of FOX Sports says he spoke with Matthews on Sunday night, and the linebacker sounded like he might be questioning his future in the NFL.
From @jayglazer w/us just now on @FoxSportsRadio – 'I talked to Clay Matthews last night and he said things to me like "I don't know if this league is for me anymore.'"
— Jason Smith (@howaboutafresca) September 25, 2018
It’s worth noting that Matthews was probably still very fired up about being flagged for roughing the passer for the third time in three weeks. He was penalized 15 yards in Sunday’s game for landing on Washington Redskins quarterback Smith with most or all of his body weight, which is prohibited based on the new rules. However, the general consensus seems to be that there was no way Matthews could have avoided it, and the same was true when he sacked Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins with what most felt was a textbook football hit the week before. That personal foul negated an interception that likely would have sealed a win for Green Bay.
Matthews is 32 and has battled some injuries in recent seasons, so perhaps he is starting to wonder if continuing to play is worth it when he feels he cannot properly do his job. Still, he may want to wait and see how things play out given the recent report we heard about the NFL possibly looking into some changes.
