Clay Matthews, a six-time Pro Bowl pass rusher who was waived by the Rams in March, was unable to come to an agreement with the Broncos, who are looking for reinforcements following Von Miller's recent ankle injury. Matthews' agent, Ryan Williams, stated that his client remains open to playing this 2020 despite recent reports.
"We were unable to come to an agreement with Denver," Williams wrote via Twitter, "but Clay remains open to playing in the NFL in 2020, provided it's the right opportunity for him and his family."
The Rams, who waived Matthews in March, owed him a $2 million roster bonus before he was cut by the team, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. That bonus, however, would be offset by any new contract he signs, which means that Matthews can afford to be picky as it relates to signing a new contract with another team.
The 26th overall pick in the 2009 draft, Matthews has tallied 91.5 career sacks over the course of his career. He has spent the bulk of his career with the Packers, recording 83.5 sacks in 10 seasons in Green Bay while helping the franchise win the Super Bowl in 2010. He spent the 2019 season in Los Angeles, recording eight sacks (his highest total since 2014) and two forced fumbles in 13 games.
Miller, an eight-time Pro Bowler, suffered the injury on the final play on Tuesday's practice in preparation for Denver's Week 1 game against the Titans. While he did not rule out the possibility of Miller playing in 2020, Broncos coach Vic Fangio did confirm that his star pass rusher will undergo surgery soon and will miss significant time.
For now, Miller's snaps will go to second-year linebacker Malik Reed and veteran Jeremiah Attaochu. Bradley Chubb, who is returning from last year's ACL surgery, is expected to be on a limited snap count during the early stages of the season.