Thirty snaps was far too few. It was one absence too many.
Atlanta Falcons left tackle In 2014, Jake Matthews made his debut as a rookie and played all the way until halftime before missing the rest of the Falcons’ season-opening overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints due to a potential injury.
It turns out that Matthews sprained his high ankle, which prevented him from playing in the Falcons’ Week 2 regulation loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I believe that, similar to myself, he felt as though he was disappointing people by not playing football,” said Jake Matthews’ father, Bruce Matthews, a 19-season offensive lineman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “It’s like, I never want another person to take up my space outside. Though it might be an unhealthy kind of fixation, it still exists.”
So true—in ten years of playing, Jake never missed another match. In the modern NFL, where injuries are so common that the average career lasts about 3.3 years, that is truly remarkable.
During the Falcons’ opening offensive series against the Saints last Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, he made franchise history by starting 155 straight regular-season games. That exceeds the previous quarterback standard of 154 set by Matt Ryan of the Falcons.
As the 2023 season enters its thirteenth week, Jake’s streak is still intact. He’ll probably downplay the achievement in favor of concentrating on the New York Jets game this Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX. Others will be happy to compliment Jake in the interim on all facets of his life, including his physical, emotional, and professional development.
Falcons offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford said of the player, “He’s so deserving of any type of recognition that he gets.” “Because that is an incredible accomplishment. It is not often seen like that. It’s extremely remarkable for him to be able to play at the same level consistently as he has for such a long time.”
T.J. Yates was starting his fourth NFL season in 2014 when he signed on with the Falcons as a backup quarterback. That year, Jake was the sixth overall draft pick by the Falcons, but he hadn’t even made his professional debut. Nevertheless, as newcomers in their own ways, the two found a way to connect with one another.
