The Atlanta Falcons left tackle was named one of the top veterans in the league
With longtime defensive lineman Grady Jarrett departing this offseason, just one player from the Falcons’ Super Bowl LI roster remains: left tackle Jake Matthews. The former No. 6 overall pick has established himself as one of the most consistent offensive linemen of the past decade. He has started 174 consecutive games since 2014 - the longest active streak in the NFL.
Matthews recently earned a spot on Pro Football Focus’ “Top 30 players over 30” team, coming in at No.24, ahead of players like Travis Kelce and Baker Mayfield.
Last season, the 11-year veteran finished with a 79.8 PFF offensive grade, his highest since the 2019 season. Matthews played the most snaps among all left tackles in the NFL while earning the seventh-best pass-blocking grade (85.4) at his position.
“Matthews remains one of the NFL’s most consistent pass protectors entering his age-33 season. He earned an 85.4 pass-blocking grade in 2024 — the second-best of his career — and has posted a grade above 80.0 in eight of the past ten seasons. His durability also stands out, with over 1,000 snaps played in each of the past 10 years,” Dalton Wasserman wrote on PFF.
Since entering the league back in 2014, Matthews has graded among the top 15 at his position through five separate seasons. He gave up just five sacks last season and has exceeded that number only once in his career (2019-2020). Matthews’ best season as a pro came during the 2018-2019 season when he was selected to his first Pro Bowl after giving up just two sacks and finishing with the sixth-best pass-blocking grade in the NFL.
Back in March, he signed a two-year contract extension worth up to $45 million. As Atlanta looks to the future, protecting their two young, prized investments (Michael Penix Jr., Bijan Robinson) is a top priority. Resigning their longest-tenured, former Pro Bowl left tackle is a strong step in building around the team's young talent.
