Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews continues to be a big supporter of his longtime friend and former teammate, quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
But as Matthews recently told USA TODAY Sports’ Mackenzie Salmon, it’s been difficult to watch Rodgers’ new team, the New York Jets, struggle through a mightily disappointing season.
“They’ve been tough to watch,” Matthews admitted.
Matthews and Rodgers shared a storied ten-season run in Green Bay, where they won a Super Bowl and starred in memorable State Farm commercials.
Just this summer, Matthews had the crowd laughing during his induction into the Packers Hall of Fame as he joked about Rodgers’ use of ayahuasca. Yet, as the season began, the mood around Rodgers’ Jets has become increasingly less upbeat.
Gang Green entered this season with high hopes and a mission to end a 13-year playoff drought, buoyed by Rodgers’ much-anticipated return following his Achilles injury in 2023.
However, with a 3-7 record so far, those playoff dreams have all but disappeared.
“It doesn’t look good is all I’m going to say,” Matthews said. “Nobody’s a bigger fan of Aaron than I am. I’m pulling for him.”
Asked why he thought the Jets have struggled, Matthews suggested that the team simply isn’t gelling. “I just feel like it seems like a team that’s just not clicking, not on the same page,” he said.
The Jets made significant moves in hopes of turning things around, firing head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start and later trading for Rodgers’ former Packers teammate Davante Adams from the Raiders.
But the anticipated connection between Rodgers and Adams hasn’t delivered the offensive boost they’d hoped for, as the Jets have won only one game since Saleh’s departure.
“You expect to see that immediate chemistry that they had in Green Bay but that’s just not the case,” Matthews said.
Reflecting on his own playing days, the 38-year-old Matthews was clear that his retirement remains firmly in place.
Rodgers has a reputation for bringing former teammates with him – like Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, and Adams – but Matthews joked that he would decline any invitation to come out of retirement.
“No, no,” he laughed.
“We tried to make it happen in Green Bay,” Matthews admitted. “It wasn’t happening. He had some pull but not enough. That would have been awesome.”
Now retired, Matthews is focused on family and his own pursuits.
“I’m too busy taking my kids to flag football, dance and gymnastics,” he said. “I’m good with where I’m at. I’m busy right now.”
Turning his attention back to Green Bay, Matthews was optimistic about his former team’s playoff prospects. The Packers are 6-3 and are right in the thick of the NFC playoff picture.
Matthews sees his old team as a strong Super Bowl contender, despite stiff competition from NFC North rivals Detroit and Minnesota, both of whom defeated the Packers earlier this season.
When asked if the Packers can make some legitimate noise in the postseason, Matthews admitted he is more than hopeful, stating, “I think so, I definitely think so.”
“It’s going to be a tight fight to the end. They’re an exciting team to watch and I see them in the thick of it at the end,” he said.
Getting back to Rodgers, while Matthews made it clear he is pulling hard for his friend and former teammate, even he pointed out just how brutal things have gone for the four-time MVP.
What are your thoughts on Rodgers and the Jets going forward? … He recently stated that he intends to play next season – but just how much do you think he has left in the tank???