Green Bay Packers: Clay Matthews is a Hall-of-Fame player

There has been no indication of retirement from Green Bay Packers legend Clay Matthews. But if he is indeed moving on from his NFL career, it was one that was duly noted in Canton, Ohio.

The long-haired maniac from USC turned in one of the best careers for a Packers edge rusher in history. The Packers already have a slot in their Hall of Fame ready for him. But the folks in Canton should start making a bust of him if they haven’t already done so.

After being selected at pick No. 26 in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Packers, Matthews would go on to have an incredible career in the Green and Gold.

He would be a staple on the Green Bay defense for an entire decade. From 2009-2018, No. 52 would go on to earn six Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro selections (first-team in 2010, second-team in 2012).

Matthews finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2010. He would play a massive role on the 2010 Super Bowl-winning team. He is the all-time leading sack master in Green Bay history with 83.5 sacks.

He started 137 out of 143 games for the Packers. After 2018, he would go on to spend one season with the Los Angeles Rams.

At age 33, he would go on to record his most sacks since the 2015 season with eight. In seven of his 11 career seasons, Matthews would have at least 7.5 sacks.

If this is the end of his career, he has more sacks than Hall-of-Fame edge rushers like Gino Marchetti, Lee Roy Selmon, Dan Hampton, Andy Robustelli, and he has the same amount as Howie Long.

He has more career interceptions (six) than Hall-of-Famers Kevin Greene and Michael Strahan.

He would record more tackles for loss than Hall-of-Famers Warren Sapp, Jason Taylor, and future Hall-of-Famer and former teammate Julius Peppers. There is no denying that Matthews’ career is up there with a lot of the all-time greats.

Again, if this is the end of the line for “The Claymaker”, he had a fantastic career. His statistics speak for themselves.

He gave one of the cornerstone franchises in the NFL stability on the edge for a decade. He helped bring the Lombardi Trophy back home in 2010.

Clay Matthews belongs in Canton, Ohio forever. His statistics, awards, and overall portfolio speak for themselves. He is one of the fiercest defensive players of this era and decade.

Put him where he belongs. Among legends.