A Falcons iron man: Jake Matthews chases dad's historic streak

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons left takcle Jake Matthews left the "Monday Night Football" game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6 with a high ankle sprain. In most cases, such an injury would keep an NFL player out for several weeks.

Not Matthews.

The 12-year veteran went back to doing what he always does when something like this happens. He takes it day-by-day, sets a goal for the following 24 hours and tries to get incrementally more ready to play as the week wears on.

"It's like, I try not to freak out and think, 'Am I going to play in this game?'" Matthews told ESPN. "Let's see how Wednesday feels."

Sure enough, Matthews was back in the starting lineup for the Falcons' Week 7 game against the San Francisco 49ers. It's just what he does. Whether it's injuries or even the birth of his first child, Matthews has proved to be the NFL's Mr. Reliable.

"We know who he is," Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. "We know what he doesn't miss."

Last week, Matthews started his 193rd straight game, making his streak the fifth-longest since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger among offensive linemen. When he starts Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams, Matthews will tie former Cleveland Browns' lineman Doug Dieken for fourth on that list.

Matthews, 33, also holds the NFL's longest-active consecutive games started streak. Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III is a distant second with 162. No NFL player has started as many games in a row as Matthews since quarterback Philip Rivers, who had a 240-game streak when he retired in 2020, before coming back for the Indianapolis Colts last week.

What makes Matthews' streak unique is that the offensive lineman with the longest such streak since the merger is Matthews' father Bruce, a Hall of Famer who played 19 seasons in the league. Bruce started 229 straight games from 1987 to 2021.

Matthews' grandfather Clay Sr. played in the NFL, as did his father, an uncle (Clay Jr.), a cousin (Clay III) and a brother (Kevin).

"Anytime you can play that long, stay that healthy, be that reliable, heal that quickly, recover that well, it's extremely unique," Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said. "I think the genetics have to play a factor at some point. Not just his dad, but his uncle, his cousins. It's pretty incredible, and I would love to do a genetic test on their family and then have it line up against my own and see where the gaps are."

The only game Matthews missed was the second of his career, in 2014. Matthews suffered a leg injury, and at the team's family dinner after the game, Bruce told him he better get his Normatec boots on for recovery, because "you have to play next Sunday."

"And he shared that story with me and it was cool," Falcons Pro Bowl right guard Chris Lindstrom said. "Just that approach of like, 'Yeah, you got to get going.' So, I think his mindset and his mind are as powerful as anything."

Jake Matthews said there's a genetic element to it, but there's also preparation, work ethic, nutrition, his faith and an iron will.

Bruce joked that during his era getting ready for a game consisted of "an ice bag and how do you feel Sunday morning?" Now, he sees the kind of work his son does to get ready every week, which includes steam rooms, cold plunges and infrared saunas.

"Obviously starting in the offseason with his workouts, but he's got a whole regimen that he goes through every evening and I'm like, 'Yeah, I don't want to miss any games, but I don't know if I'm that committed,'" Bruce told ESPN.

Jake Matthews' streak nearly ended three years ago, and it had nothing to do with an injury.

In 2022, Matthews and his wife, Meggi, were set to have their first child, a son named Beckett Thomas. Meggi ended up going into labor early the morning of the Falcons' Thursday night game against the Carolina Panthers -- in Charlotte.

A Falcons security official ended up driving Matthews back to the Atlanta area, speeding down I-85 in a rental car. Matthews got to the hospital in time to help with the delivery process. He got to hold Beckett for 15 minutes and then was driven to owner Arthur Blank's private jet to head back to Charlotte for the game. Matthews arrived about 30 minutes before warmups.

"My wife is a godsend," Matthews said. "She was all-in. She's a competitor, as well.

"She knew the cutoff when I had to leave was 3:30. She was looking at the clock the whole time. You want to talk about streaks and tough decisions and all that. 'Hey, let's see what happens.' And thankfully she made it happen, and I think the streak is more important to her than to me."

Matthews said that Meggi will ask him once in a while how much longer he thinks he'll play. He is signed to the Falcons through 2028. His response is usually: "Let's see how this week of practice goes."

It's not like Matthews is just durable, either. A Pro Bowler in 2018, he has remained a consistently good left tackle for his entire career. This season, he is 14th in the NFL among tackles in pass block win rate (93%).

Matthews said he feels healthy, and while maybe he's closer to the end of his career than the beginning, he believes his knowledge and feel for the game have only continued to get better.