Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay expressed plenty of optimism regarding linebacker Clay Matthews’ potential return in Week 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out of the bye week as he is set to return to the field
Matthews has been sidelined after suffering a broken jaw during the loss against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5. There is no question that his absence has left a rather notable void in the Rams’ linebacker corps since then.
Fortunately, he has made the necessary progress in his recovery to be a limited participant in practice this week. Matthews is happy to now reap the benefits of his recovered jaw both on and off the field.
Matthews admitted it was difficult completing even the simplest tasks while having his mouth wired shut, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website:
“Never realized how I much I enjoyed eating until you have your mouth wired shut,” Matthews said. “But it was one of those ones that sucks, no doubt about it. Not only being hurt, but you don’t realize how much you use your mouth every day, having your mouth wired shut. Especially when your kids don’t listen to you, but that’s another story.”
Matthews added that he is looking forward to finishing out the 2019 NFL season on a high note while staying healthy:
“Obviously I’ve never experienced this before and it was very much a freak injury,” Matthews said. “Unfortunate, but hopefully we can put it all past us now and move forward without any more hiccups.”
Matthews’ comments are certainly an encouraging sign for his looming return. The bye week has allowed him some extra time to recover without having to miss another game and it seems he is ready to make his presence felt once again for the Rams defense.
The 33-year-old proved to be quite the offseason pickup following a hot start to the 2019 campaign that saw him rack up 16 tackles and six sacks in five games. The veteran will now be looking to pick up where he left off as one of the veteran leaders of this group that has undergone some significant changes since he was last on the field.
Fortunately, the depth for Los Angeles has managed to pick up the slack amidst their rash of injuries prior to the trade deadline. Meanwhile, linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. has also gotten back on track by ending his five-week drought without a sack by dialing up 4.5 sacks in the last two games.
Regardless, Matthews’ return this week would provide a huge boost in the Rams’ attempts to get a winning streak going.
