What it takes to become a Pro Football Hall of Famer is not written in stone. Stats, impact, accolades, team accomplishments, and more tend to lead voters to give certain players a lot more attention than others. For Cleveland Browns LB Clay Matthews Jr., that process has moved his name forward but never into the winner’s circle for a Gold Jacket and an iconic bust.
For those who don’t know Matthews’ story, you might know his son, Clay Matthews III, from his excellent career with the Green Bay Packers.
Matthews 19-year playing career once again saw him advance in the Hall of Fame process for seniors heading into this year’s induction, but he once again fell short. During 16 years with the Browns and three with the Atlanta Falcons, Matthews compiled 82.5 sacks, just under 1,600 tackles, 16 interceptions, 24 forced fumbles, 29 fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns.
According to Pro-Football-Reference’s Approximate Value, Matthews is the 104th-best player since 1960, and one of the few eligible retirees that high on the list without a bust in Canton, Ohio.
Clay’s daughter Jennifer has continually pounded the table for her father to receive his rightful induction:
Sadly, after the Hall of Fame made changes to their voting process on Friday, Matthews and other senior candidates may have seen their chances of joining the immortals vanish. As noted via ESPN:
All players will now be considered in one pool rather than split into either “modern era” or “seniors,” with the latter being players who had had their modern era eligibility expire after 25 years. Players will still be eligible for induction five years after their retirement but will simply remain on the list of all eligible players after that.
How does that impact Matthews and the rest of what used to be the senior candidates?
Previously, a maximum of three seniors could be included on the ballot of finalists. Players also no longer graduate to the seniors category after a number of years, meaning all player designees remain in the same pool.
Now, Matthews will no longer just be contending with players from his own era, which he has continually lost out to (unfairly, according to anyone who loves the Browns). Instead, anyone and everyone who gets on the ballot gets to stay on the ballot, further cluttering the chances that a player passed over, over and over again, will suddenly get enough votes, even if they deserve it.
Do you believe that Clay Matthews Jr. deserves to be in the Hall of Fame? What do you think about these new rules that will help more modern players get inducted each year but limit players who retired before the 2000 season?
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
Download the SB Nation app on iOS or Android.
