Packers News: Clay Matthews agrees to contract extension

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Packers OLB Clay Matthews
Packers OLB Clay Matthews

Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews has reached an agreement on a contract extension to keep him in Green Bay, according to his Twitter account.

The deal will be a five-year extension worth slightly more than $13 million per season, according to Jay Glazer. Matthews now becomes the highest-paid linebacker in the league, passing DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter had previously reported that Matthews would likely get around $13 million per season.

Coming out of the University of Southern California, Matthews was the 26th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, after the Packers used the No. 9 overall pick on B.J. Raji.

In four seasons with the Packers, Matthews has racked up 42.5 sacks in 58 regular-season games. He registered 13 sacks last season.

Matthews is the first domino to fall in what will likely be multiple blockbuster contract extensions for the Packers this offseason. He shares the same agent (David Dunn) as Raji and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Raji is entering the final year of his contract, and Rodgers is expected to sign an extension that will make him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

This was not a matter of if; it was a matter of when.

And now that Matthews has been locked up for the foreseeable future, the team can focus on putting the finishing touches on an extension for Rodgers. It’s been a quiet offseason for the Packers, but that’s due in large part to these upcoming extensions.

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Marques is a Journalism student, serving as the Sports Editor of UW-Green Bay\'s campus newspaper The Fourth Estate and a Packers writer at Jersey Al\'s AllGBP.com. Follow Marques on Twitter @MJEversoll.

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19 thoughts on “Packers News: Clay Matthews agrees to contract extension

  1. With that kind of money, he can afford to buy a pair of new hamstrings. 😉

    I’m glad the Packers got his deal done. It’s well deserved.

  2. Highest paid LB in the league really needs to play a full season… That’s my only concern.

    Talent, drive, motor? Check, check and check, he’s a complete LB. Gotta figure out that hamstring issue if you’re going to pay the guy more money than anyone else in the league at his position group. He’s the highest paid LB in the league, and he only plays 4/5 – 3/4 of the season.

    1. Oppy, I think I am correct in attributing this to you, but I believe you were the one that was advocating the “hammy clause” in CM3’s contract?

      1. Nope, I’m just the guy who made a cheesy joke about -who- “hammy clause” is. 😉

        That said, I think his health is the one thing that has the potential to make this look like a questionable contract.. The only thing, really. A healthy CMIII is worth every bit of this contract.

  3. 5 more years of ClayveMan-thews! Now lets hope perry, or a new draftee ,can add some spark on the other side so we can terrorize opposing QBs

  4. Perry ha all the tools and he should add a new demension on the leftside. I feel strongly he’ll have a great year in 2013. With CM3 smiling all lthe way to the bank I’d like him to tak a real leadership role on the D. It’s the least he can do!

  5. I won’t hide behind a bush…CM3 has just been put on the overpaid list.Reading the comments above,tells me others agree…health,missed games,needs help…paid too much…9.5 max.

    1. So he deserves to be paid 3.5M less than DeMarcus Ware? I don’t think so… Now if you wanna argue that all football players are overpaid that’s another matter. However, that’s on we the fans who throw money at Football in every way imaginable. Its our fandom that pays their salaries afterall.

  6. Gotta tell you guys I’m happy they signed Matthews. To let it go till he’s a free agent would have been suicide. I also think any less money he wouldn’t have signed. What concerns me is when you combine Matthews salary with what we’re going to pay Rodgers it’s going to really be tough keeping others. I had just read where Stafford was willing to take less and restructure so Detroit could field a better team around him. The Steelers had committed 100 million of their cap to 10 players through the 2012 season. They made it to 2 Superbowls winning one but are having their issues now. Say Rodgers signs for 23 million a year and combine that with Clays 13.5. That’s 36.5 million for two players! Thompson would have to start hitting on his draft picks at a much higher success rate than he has the last few years. I mean I’ve read things about Nick Perry already that would suggest the Packers are still looking for a player to play opposite Matthews. WTF!!! He was just drafted last year and played 6 games. Really? I think it was Stroh who thought that the cap would stay flat next year even though the owners are going to get a ton more money with new TV contracts. Congrats to Clay, he deserves it, Aaron will too but at what cost? Scary stuff friends…

    1. I agree that they’ll restructure, just like the Steelers are trying to do. At some point you can only move all those millions around so much before you run out of room. Seattle, San Fransisco, and others with those young QB will have the same issues in a few years once the rookie contracts are played out. You can only keep so many of your own before you run out of money. The Niners blew for so long they have a lot of top 10 picks. Soon those 6 pro bowl players on defense want theirs. One already left. Lets hope Thompson nails this draft because that’s what you have to do once you have a 25 million dollar man.

  7. I’ve been reading this site for over 2 years now, first time i’m gonna comment on it.
    First of, for a Packers fan outside of US what you guys are doing here is pure gold. I have virtually 0 NFL info in local media and i rely a lot on this site and it’s comments section for my Packers news.
    That out of the way, i don’t understand why people are worried about Packers not being able to pay future talent. Rodgers at least (Matthews as well to some degree) has always struck me as someone who will restructure without blinking if it helps the team.

  8. I wonder what it’s like to sit down and sign a document knowing that even if you never set foot on a football field again, you are set for life?

    I would guess it would be really peaceful knowing that you’ll never have to worry about money. The $31MM guaranteed works out to $1733 before taxes every day for the next 49 years until he reaches the average American male life span of 76 years.

    Good work if you can get it.

    1. Good god, man.. $1700+ per day? I don’t know if that’d be peaceful or stressful. Yes, it’s nice to know you have the means to take care of any financial burden.. But the burden of knowing you are expected to live up to that kind of pay must be a weight to carry around as well.

      Don’t get me wrong- I’d be happy to see how that burden would affect me.

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