Philadelphia Eagles should keep Jordan Matthews around beyond 2019

The Philadelphia Eagles should strongly consider keeping Jordan Matthews around this time.

There aren’t a lot of second chances to go around in the NFL. Typically, if a player gets cut multiple times in their career, there’s a good chance they won’t land on another roster for more than a couple of weeks. That’s just how life goes in the NFL.

Fortunately for wide receiver Jordan Matthews, though, he’s always got a place with the Philadelphia Eagles waiting for him. Perhaps this time around, the Eagles should just keep him beyond this season. After all, his return seems to be inevitable at this point.

Back in 2017, the Eagles banked on Nelson Agholor being a solid slot wide receiver. Therefore, they used Jordan Matthews as trade bait to acquire a cornerback, which was a crucial position in need. Matthews didn’t thrive in Buffalo, so he struggled to remain on the roster.

Eventually, Matthews returned to Philadelphia the year after he was traded because the Eagles lacked wide receiver depth. While Matthews was shockingly one of the more reliable targets for Carson Wentz and Nick Foles in 2018, the Eagles were still undecided on him.

It seemed like Matthews would re-gain traction in the NFL once again after inking a deal with the San Francisco 49ers, but they cut him before the season even began. At this point, Matthews has played in one game this season — as no other teams came calling. That was until the Philadelphia Eagles did the obvious and brought him back.

Matthews returns for a third stint

Many would expect Jordan Matthews to be bitter at this point, but the veteran wideout couldn’t be happier. He compared his return to being like “a kid in a candy store,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Ed Kracz.

This could be the final time Matthews plays in Philadelphia, but at this point, the Eagles should consider keeping him around beyond this season. As we know, the current slot receiver Nelson Agholor is underperforming on a contract year. Other backup wideouts such as Mack Hollins and JJ Arcega-Whiteside have contributed almost nothing this entire season.

Then, the two starters in Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson are clearly declining as their health affects their game. We know Jordan Matthews isn’t an ‘over the top’ talent, but he’s undoubtedly a reliable wideout for the Eagles at this point.

Considering the lack of interest around the league for him as of late, Matthews is more than likely to have a cheap price tag in the offseason. Therefore, it won’t be hard for the Eagles to retain him at a bargain price.

Let’s face it — Matthews belongs in midnight green. He’s got solid chemistry with the franchise quarterback. He genuinely likes it in Philly, making it clear he wants to be here. And best of all, he’s good for the locker room. While the team builds up the position to develop younger talent, Matthews can issue some reliable production in the slot next season.