Matthews: Missed workouts not about contract
PHILADELPHIA » Ask Jordan Matthews about the report suggesting a “contract related” issue was behind sitting out most of the OTAs and minicamp and you get the stare.
A full-go on the first fullsquad training camp practice Friday, the Eagles’ most prolific wide receiver over the past three years with the tender knee was insulted when the question was asked.
“I, like, would literally never do that,” Matthews said. “Like, if you guys know me any from the time that I’ve been here, I go to work. This is a privilege to be able to play football regardless, whether it’s the Philadelphia Eagles or it’s anybody. To play in the NFL, I’ve always wanted to do this. So any time I can come out here and play, I’m going to do that. I believe that when you go to work, you end up seeing the fruits of your labor getting paid off. So I would never sit out to try to force somebody’s hand. That’s just not me.”
Truth be told, Matthews has had knee issues since Jalen Mills gave him a shot in the left knee during one of Doug Pederson’s celebrated live tackling periods last August.
Matthews wasn’t 100 percent all of last season, although he still caught 73 passes for 804 yards and three touchdowns. The 2015 second-round pick out of Vanderbilt is only the fifth player in NFL history to register 65 or more catches and 800 or more receiving yards in his first three seasons.
There’s playing hurt and there’s practicing hurt. Playing hurt is what football players do.
“Once you step out here, nobody cares,” Matthews said. “Nobody cares at all. If anything, they’re glad that you have problems. My thing is, put it behind me, come out here, practice hard. I felt great today. I feel progressively I’m going to feel better every single day. Soon, I feel like I’m going to be 100 percent and be able to come out here and really do what I want to do. I’m confident and just excited about the future.”
Another side to the Matthews story is the Eagles couldn’t sign receivers Alshon Jeffery to a one-year $9.5 million contract and Torrey Smith to a threeyear, $15 million pact fast enough in free agency.
In the draft the Eagles were interested in Corey Davis, the first-round talent out of Western Michigan who was off the board when they selected pass rusher Derek Barnett.
The Eagles then drafted receivers Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson in the fourth and fifth rounds. And they didn’t extend Matthews’ contract as there wasn’t much money left to do it. Message received.
“I don’t get into it that much, honestly,” Matthews said. “I think things change by the year depending on what our team’s salary cap looks like. There are so many things that go into it. If you go out there and make plays, you’ll get paid. That’s from the bottom. I don’t really try to worry about that other stuff. My biggest thing is, am I going to come out here and help the team win? If I do that, I feel like that’s going to set me up in the best position possible to be here long term.”
Matthews chose to rehab the knee without surgery, and that process might not have been fast enough for his critics.
Pederson shed no light on the situation other than to say “with any injury, we’re going to monitor it.
“But it’s full go so we’ll go forward Pederson said.
When once Matthews was the go-to guy when reporters wanted to know about quarterback Carson Wentz, now it’s Jeffery, who on Friday made another sprawling, rugged catch Eagles fans aren’t used to seeing.
Matthews himself made a Jeffery-like catch as he elevated to high-point a throw from Nick Foles in front of rookie Randall Goforth. It was proof that the knee is sound. with him, with that,”
“There’s always that apprehension, whenever you’re coming back from anything, of ‘OK what can I do?’” Matthews said. “But once I come out here it’s football. It’s definitely something that can be in your mind but once I step on the field I try to put it behind me and go out there and make plays. If I’m out here playing, then don’t worry about it. That’s all I’ll say. If I’m playing like I came out here and practice then it’s nothing. I wouldn’t come out here and play unless I feel like I can come out here and do. I feel great and I’m just glad I was able to come out and make some plays.”
Matthews reminded his questioners that he’s not the only skills player playing out the last year of his contract with the Eagles.
So are Jeffery, LeGarrette Blount and Darren Sproles
“We have made no bones about it, we want to win now,” Matthews said. “So it’s a big year for all of us, man. Across the board, everyone is looking across at each other like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to come out here and we’ve got to win games.’ So I can alleviate a lot of that pressure by leaning on the guys around me because I know everybody is thinking the same thing.”
When Wentz looks around a huddle that has changed dramtically since last season, he sees difference makers. In addition to Matthews, Jeffery and Smith there is Blount, the big running back, Sproles and tight end Zach Ertz.
“I know it’s early,” Wentz said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. But we truly believe we have the guys to do something special. We’ve just got to put in the time, put in the work and really find, kind of, who we are to some extent, our pure identity. This year with different pieces in place, we know at the end of the day, we know up front we’re solid. We know those big boys can do a lot of things both in the run game, the play action game and the passing game. So I do believe we’ll rely on those big boys up front and I think we can do something special.”