Getty Former Eagles starters Carson Wentz and Jordan Matthews celebrate after a play in 2016.
It seems as if not all former Philadelphia Eagles players are cut from the same cloth. One day after Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson ripped the rowdy fan base for being “f****** obnoxious” on a Twitch live stream, an unlikely hero came to the rescue to defend the city’s misunderstood passion.
Jordan Matthews hasn’t played a down for the Eagles since 2019 but the one-time starter felt the need to post a nice “Throwback Thursday” tribute video to the franchise that drafted him 42nd overall in 2014. In a vacuum, it was a refreshingly harmless Twitter post until Gardner-Johnson set the internet on fire. Matthews caught wind of what was going on and felt the need to fire off a good-natured response: “Just logged back on and I want to say I appreciate all the love I’m getting from Philly. You guys aren’t obnoxious.. just passionate. Much love always!”
There it is: one very passionate fan base receiving two drastically different reviews. Matthews — a close friend of former quarterback Carson Wentz — suited up in 62 games (39 starts) during three tours of duty in Philadelphia. He was equal parts productive and affable over parts of five seasons in midnight green while ascending to No. 21 on the all-time list for receptions (249) and receiving yards (3,006). His 21 receiving touchdowns also rank No. 19 in franchise history.
Meanwhile, Matthews has been lobbying to return to the NFL as a tight end after converting from wide receiver. He had an open tryout with the Carolina Panthers back in June but left the facility without a contract. Hopefully, the 31-year-old can find a home somewhere and continue catching touchdown passes in 2023.
Transitioning to Tight End Since 2021
Jordan Matthews started his transition from wide receiver to tight end after the 2021 season. He was struggling to find the playing field for the San Francisco 49ers when the light bulb turned on. It had been something he had been considering since watching Trey Burton — his old teammate in Philly — excel at the job as a 238-pound tight end. So, Matthews added 30 pounds to his frame and made the switch.
“If you look at the game of basketball it’s gone position-less, right? In football I think it’s headed that way in some aspects, too,” Matthews told reporters in 2021. “It’s going to be a space where if you’re a football player that’s where you can make the most bang for your buck … I think the more you can do, you’re going to be able to create value for yourself, long-term and I knew, well if I could put on some pounds I can probably do this.”
#49ers tight end Jordan Matthews tore his ACL and is going on injured reserve. Happened on a route, non-contact early in Monday’s session.
Really made strides in past year converting from wide receiver and was strong contender to make 53-man roster this season at TE.
Matthews wasn’t able to latch on with the 49ers, though. He was signed to the practice squad in 2022, then inked a futures contract before suffering a season-ending ACL injury.
Darius Slay: Not Ready for Hall of Fame
Darius Slay has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL for the better part of a decade. He has 133 pass breakups and 26 interceptions while earning five Pro Bowl nods. When one Twitter user put the shutdown corner in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Slay pushed back on the notion. He’s not quite ready for Canton: “Appreciate the post but I’m not there just yet,” Slay wrote.
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