He's #2 all time in tackles...in the recorded history of the stat. He has the most "consecutive" seasons of over a 100 tackles at 14 seasons, playing for 3 different teams. 9 of those were over 130 tackles. 6 over 140. Which shows off both his amazing consistency and ironman durability. He NEVER missed a game in all of his 16 seasons. 256 gms in a row is the record at LB.

He also has 23 INTs. 6 seasons with multiple picks, 4 seasons with 3+ picks and a 5 pick season with Washington in his 15th year. Add in 19FF, 12 F Rec., 39 sacks. Team captain for both Buffalo and Washington. Known for his outstanding leadership. Won a SB in 2000 with the Rams, leading the team in tackles...of course.

Tom Brady, Tony Gonzalez, Curtis Martin and many other HOFs have written letters on his behalf stating he's a no brainer.

If he doesn't go to the HOF.... It's one of the biggest snubs in NFL history.

@orion said:

I never viewed him as a dominant player.  He was a good player.  

He was a great player... He excelled in any defense they threw him in.. 4-3 or 3-4.. He adapted.. You can still play team defense and be great... his numbers are comparable if not better in some statistics than Junior Seau.. If Mathews had played in New York or LA... He would be in...

@fy56 said:

There are other great players from other teams that have been snubbed as well.

 Two from our own division. Why Kenny Anderson is not in is a crime.

The top 10 snubbed:

https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/hall-of-fame-snubs/#:~:text=Ken Anderson is widely regarded as one,the more accurate QBs of his era.

I agree..Anderson was a surgeon...

@sdbacker80 said:

Let’s play the comparison game with guys at his position and in his era. 

Andre Tippett  1 more Pro Bowl than Clay and he played six more season, Tippett was a defensive player of the year Clay was not, Tippett 100 sacks am a Clay 82.5, Clay had 16 INTs Andre Tippett 1, 4 All Pros for Tippett just one for Clay.

Junior Seau- no case for comparison 

Harry Carson- 9 Pro Bowls, 14 INTs, 9 sacks?, 

Ricky Jackson 6 Pro Bowls, 5 all pros, 136 sacks, 8 INTs, 40 forced fumbles, Clay had 400 more tackles but played four more years than Ricky. 

Mike Singletary no case for comparison 

LOVED both Singletary & Carson!  I liked Tippett as well; so I appreciate your feedback.  

That said, Clay didn't play MLB behind 2 HOF DTs like Hampton & McMichael. When either guy needed a breather The Fridge came in with fresh legs and a healthy appetite. There also wasn't a HOF DE like Richard Dent here on the outside.  I didn't see a Wilber Marshall or an Otis Wilson on either side of him. Which job do think was easier to succeed in? Pretty nice situation for any LBer. 

One of the 4 years Clay Matthews led the NFL in tackles he also had 12 sacks; but he did NOT even make the Pro Bowl that season fwiw.  LBer Chip Banks never bettered that sack volume or inventory of tackles any of the 4 times he made Pro Bowl. 

The day Cleveland beat Buffalo in the playoffs at home - Clay sealed the deal intercepting Kelly at the goal line. That was Buffalo's last loss in the AFC playoffs prior to winning 4 straight Conference Championships.  

When I've watched our defenses play since 1999 - it sure seemed like forever before we added a LBer like JOK that could make me confident in their ability to tackle once had some experience.  The biggest strength of Matthews for this team was his reliability to tackle people from being instinctively/intelligently in position to make the tackle. He wasn't a kill shot kind of guy leading with his head; so he was consistent at getting the tackle completed. It's sad I have to type something like that - but we've never been spoiled with an overload of talent on our defensive line.  We've had some scrappy defenses that I appreciated though.  Clay Matthews III shows us what Clay Matthews Jr could have done if given the same rush the passer role at the same position every week - every season. 

I doubt I changed anyone's mind here - but IMO he was a VERY good LBer for a long time for the Browns.  

@dutch-oven said:

Clay Matthews gets dinged because he is considered a "compiler". 

He's a good player who played forever. Honestly, I don't remember ever thinking when he played for the Browns "Clay Matthews is one of the best linebackers I've ever seen."

Now, if you think a good player who was able to play forever deserves to be in the HOF, then yes, he deserves it. 

I never viewed him as a dominant player.  He was a good player.  

@flugel said:

? Well done Aggies! That said, they didn't hold it against Fred Biletnikoff who played for the same organization.

Yeah, there's a picture of F.B. with a big jar of the stuff with a wooden stick to take it out and next to him is fellow teammate and HOFer Cliff Branch with just a little tube applying it to fingertips. But Lester without a doubt just had huge outsized gobs on his hands and even larger gobs on the sides of his lower legs. He was the most excessive with it of all the players of that era. 

Got a funny side story on those receivers. When my friend who had gotten a Superbowl ring with the Colts was traded to the Raiders he interviewed with Coach Madden and let him know he had been a very good two way player in college as a DB and WR and if he needed any help on the offensive side he would be happy to fill in. Madden laughed at the offer and told him, "I think we're already pretty good there with Branch and Biletnikoff."

He's a good player who played forever. Honestly, I don't remember ever thinking when he played for the Browns "Clay Matthews is one of the best linebackers I've ever seen."

Now, if you think a good player who was able to play forever deserves to be in the HOF, then yes, he deserves it. 

Andre Tippett  1 more Pro Bowl than Clay and he played six more season, Tippett was a defensive player of the year Clay was not, Tippett 100 sacks am a Clay 82.5, Clay had 16 INTs Andre Tippett 1, 4 All Pros for Tippett just one for Clay.

Junior Seau- no case for comparison 

Harry Carson- 9 Pro Bowls, 14 INTs, 9 sacks?, 

Ricky Jackson 6 Pro Bowls, 5 all pros, 136 sacks, 8 INTs, 40 forced fumbles, Clay had 400 more tackles but played four more years than Ricky. 

Mike Singletary no case for comparison 

@dutch-oven said:

Browns WR Gary Collins should be in the HOF. 

331 receptions at 16.0 yards per catch, 71 touchdowns. 

And he was the punter. 

My dad would be really happy that someone mentioned Gary Collins deserved to be in the HOF.

@texasag1969 said:

I think they still hold Lester's gobs of stickem on hands and socks against him, though if truth be told, today's sticky gloves are far superior to that IMO.

? Well done Aggies! That said, they didn't hold it against Fred Biletnikoff who played for the same organization.

@fy56 said:

There are other great players from other teams that have been snubbed as well.

 Two from our own division. Why Kenny Anderson is not in is a crime.

The top 10 snubbed:

https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/hall-of-fame-snubs/#:~:text=Ken Anderson is widely regarded as one,the more accurate QBs of his era.

Thanks for sharing that list!  Sterling Sharpe is now off that list; and I think some of the other guys will end up getting inducted in the near future as well.  Seeing they only inducted 4 players this year makes me wonder why they didn't take a few of those guys in this year.

@bob806 said:

It's maddening. The Pro Football HOF has definitely missed the mark on quite a few players, Clay is one of them, Hanford Dixon & Lester Hayes as well.

Then players like Lynn Swan or Kevin Greene are first ballot guys. 

They've turned Canton into Cooperstown, it's sad. 

Browns WR Gary Collins should be in the HOF. 

331 receptions at 16.0 yards per catch, 71 touchdowns. 

And he was the punter. 

@texasag1969 said:

I think they still hold Lester's gobs of stickem on hands and socks against him, though if truth be told, today's sticky gloves are far superior to that IMO.

Probably, but the guy was a great cover CB ( like Hanford).

I'm just getting angry thinking about how many Steelers got into the HOF. Call them the team of the 70s ( they were), but please, not every Steeler was a HOFer. 

Not healthy for a Sunday morning lol.

 Two from our own division. Why Kenny Anderson is not in is a crime.

The top 10 snubbed:

https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/hall-of-fame-snubs/#:~:text=Ken Anderson is widely regarded as one,the more accurate QBs of his era.

@bob806 said:

It's maddening. The Pro Football HOF has definitely missed the mark on quite a few players, Clay is one of them, Hanford Dixon & Lester Hayes as well.

Then players like Lynn Swan or Kevin Greene are first ballot guys. 

They've turned Canton into Cooperstown, it's sad. 

I think they still hold Lester's gobs of stickem on hands and socks against him, though if truth be told, today's sticky gloves are far superior to that IMO.

It's maddening. The Pro Football HOF has definitely missed the mark on quite a few players, Clay is one of them, Hanford Dixon & Lester Hayes as well.

Then players like Lynn Swan or Kevin Greene are first ballot guys. 

They've turned Canton into Cooperstown, it's sad.