Clay Matthews no longer terrorizes quarterbacks on Sundays, but the Green Bay Packers' all-time sack leader remains one of the most recognizable defensive stars in modern NFL history. Years after stepping away from the game, the six-time Pro Bowl linebacker and Super Bowl XLV champion is back in the spotlight — not for a game-changing strip-sack, but for a career-defining honor: his 2024 induction into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. As fans continue searching for "Clay Matthews now," the answer is a retired franchise icon enjoying life after football while his legacy is finally etched into Packers lore.
Across 10 NFL seasons, Matthews recorded 91.5 career sacks — including a franchise-record 83.5 with Green Bay — to go with 519 total tackles, 17 forced fumbles, six interceptions and three defensive touchdowns. From his improbable rise as a USC walk-on to his signature flowing hair and relentless pass rush, "The Claymaker" authored one of the most memorable defensive careers of the 2010s.
From Walk-On to Franchise Icon: Inside Clay Matthews' Rise
Born William Clay Matthews III on May 14, 1986, in the Northridge section of Los Angeles, Matthews was practically destined for football. His father, Clay Matthews Jr., was a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker, and his uncle, Bruce Matthews, is a Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman. Yet the youngest Matthews took an unorthodox path to stardom. A self-described late bloomer whose recruiting interest out of Agoura High School was, in his words, "not applicable," he walked on at USC under head coach Pete Carroll and began his college career buried on the scout team.
Matthews blossomed into a special teams star — becoming the only player in USC history to win three consecutive Special Teams Player of the Year awards — before breaking out as a hybrid "elephant" rusher in 2008. Carroll later called his handling of Matthews "one of his great mistakes," a nod to not unleashing the future star sooner. That meteoric rise convinced the Packers to trade up in the 2009 NFL Draft and select Matthews 26th overall.
The pick paid off immediately. Matthews piled up 10 sacks as a rookie and earned his first Pro Bowl selection — the first Packers rookie to do so since James Lofton in 1978.
The Claymaker Era: A Super Bowl, Records and Relentless Pressure
Matthews' finest season arrived in 2010, when he tallied 13.5 sacks, won the Butkus Award as the NFL's top linebacker and earned first-team All-Pro honors while powering Green Bay to a Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. During that title run, Matthews set a franchise record with 3.5 sacks in a single postseason and delivered a game-changing forced fumble in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.
For the next decade, Matthews remained the face of the Packers' defense. He became the franchise's all-time sack leader on September 28, 2017, and finished with 83.5 sacks in a Green Bay uniform. Former All-Pro pass rusher Kevin Greene, who coached Matthews early in his career, offered the ultimate compliment: "He has another gear I didn't have. He's better than Kevin Greene was."
After 10 seasons in Green Bay, Matthews signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, returning home to Southern California. A broken jaw cut that season short, and the Rams released him in March 2020. He never played again, formally telling reporters in September 2022 that his playing days were over.
Why Clay Matthews Still Matters: The Legacy of No. 52
Matthews' impact extends well beyond the stat sheet. Six Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro nods, a Super Bowl ring and a Butkus Award place him in rarefied company, but his true legacy is as the anchor of a Packers defense that defined an era. His ferocious edge rushing, combined with rare versatility — he slid inside to inside linebacker in 2014 and 2015 to help a depleted unit — made him the kind of Swiss Army knife modern defenses covet.
He also carried the weight of football royalty. Alongside brother Casey Matthews, cousins Jake and Kevin Matthews, and Hall of Fame uncle Bruce Matthews, Clay became the latest — and arguably most decorated pass rusher — in one of the NFL's most famous families. A decade of disruptive, game-altering defense is captured in 91.5 sacks and 17 forced fumbles.
Where Clay Matthews Is Now: Retirement and a Packers Hall of Fame Honor
So where is Clay Matthews now? The short answer: retired, and officially enshrined. After announcing his retirement in 2022, Matthews was selected for the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in November 2023 and formally inducted on August 29, 2024, alongside fellow pass rusher Aaron Kampman — two of the franchise's all-time sack leaders sharing the stage.
Matthews had long hoped to finish his career with the Packers, telling reporters in 2022 that he wished his playing days had ended in Green Bay. Today, he enjoys life away from the field, having prioritized family — he and his wife have three children — dating back to his 2019 decision to return to Southern California. The Packers Hall of Fame honor, which followed his 2023 Senior Bowl Hall of Fame induction, cemented a career that began as an overlooked walk-on and ended in franchise immortality.
What's Next for Clay Matthews
With his playing days behind him and a Packers Hall of Fame plaque secured, the next question surrounding Matthews is whether Canton comes calling. Having last played in 2019, Matthews is now eligible for Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration, and his six Pro Bowls, two All-Pro selections, Super Bowl ring and status as the Packers' all-time sack leader give him a legitimate case for eventual enshrinement.
Whether or not the Pro Football Hall of Fame is next, Matthews' place in football history is already secure. The walk-on who became a franchise cornerstone now stands as a reminder that the greatest pass rushers are judged not only by sacks, but by the moments they deliver when it matters most.
The Bottom Line: Clay Matthews' Career at a Glance
- Career: 10 NFL seasons (Green Bay Packers, 2009–2018; Los Angeles Rams, 2019)
- Sacks: 91.5 career, including a franchise-record 83.5 with the Packers
- Accolades: 6× Pro Bowl, 2× All-Pro, Butkus Award (2010), Super Bowl XLV champion
- Career stats: 519 tackles, 17 forced fumbles, 6 interceptions, 3 defensive touchdowns
- Draft: 2009 first-round pick, 26th overall (USC walk-on)
- Now: Retired; inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2024
