Left tackle Jake Matthews will sign a five-year extension with the Atlanta Falcons worth $75 million. The 26-year-old has spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Falcons. He was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Falcons giving OT Jake Mathews a 5-year, $75 million deal, per source. Big day for OTs. https://t.co/OKDAMEUZ0i
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 27, 2018
Jake Matthews Signs Extension With the Atlanta Falcons
Jake Matthews started all 16 games last season at left tackle for the third straight year after a rough first season in the NFL. He was a critical part of the 2017 Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl run, in which he started all offensive snaps during the improbable come-from-behind victory against the New England Patriots.
Since being drafted, Matthews has had high expectations to perform at an elite level. Although he suffered an ankle injury in his first game, he only missed one game. After that, he had a disastrous season in which he was rated the worst offensive tackle in the league by Pro Football Focus. He bounced back the following season and PFF rated him as the third most improved player.
Before entering the NFL, Matthews played college football for Texas A&M. It was there where he became one of the best offensive linemen in the country. In 2012 and 2013, he was a First-Team All-American and a First-Team All-SEC player. After a stellar collegiate career, he was the second offensive lineman taken in his draft class (four picks after Greg Robinson).
Born into a football family, his father is Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. His two brothers both played college football, with his younger brother playing for the Cleveland Browns. His uncle, Clay Matthews Jr., was a four-time Pro Bowler. He is the cousin of Pro Bowl linebacker Clay Matthews III, who has played for the Green Bay Packers his entire career. Matthews grew up in Missouri City, Texas and played high school football at Elkins High School. He was a 4-star recruit out of high school and rated as the seventh-best offensive lineman in the country.
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