Reports that former Green Bay Packers’ linebacker Clay Matthews is retired from football seem to be false. Matthews’ agent Ryan Williams issued a statement on Friday in which he says that his client “remains open to playing in the NFL in 2020.”
Matthews previously failed to agree to a deal with the Denver Broncos, who are on the market for a linebacker after Pro Bowler Von Miller suffered a season-ending injury. After this, rumors surfaced that the main reason why the two sides didn’t come to a deal is that the 34-year-old Matthews doesn’t want to play football anymore.
While William confirmed talks with Broncos, he refuted the rest of the report.
“We were unable to come to an agreement with Denver, but Clay remains open to playing in the NFL in 2020, provided it’s the right opportunity for him and his family,” William wrote on Twitter.
Clay Matthews spent the first 10 years of his career in Green Bay, winning a Super Bowl with the franchise and earning six Pro Bowl nods during that time. He joined the LA Rams on a two-year deal last summer, but only lasted one season with the organization before being released in March.
While the Rams moved on from him, Matthews actually had a more than solid campaign last year. Despite playing only 13 games, he racked up 8.0 sacks, which is the most he had since 2018. He also added 37 tackles, three pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.
