The trade that changed everything
Wentz was heading into his second NFL season in 2017 with a revamped receiving core. Despite the new additions, Matthews was the only receiver who had built chemistry with Wentz, and it felt like the Eagles were gearing up for a big season.
That didn’t change, but Matthews’ status on the roster did.
The cornerback position had been an issue for a while and Howie Roseman decided to make a move for Darby from the Bills during the preseason.
Unfortunately, Matthews was given up as part of the exchange for Darby along with a third-round pick. Matthews had to learn a new scheme within a matter of weeks and was expected to perform right away in Buffalo, but would end up suffering multiple injuries throughout the season and ended up playing in just 10 games, putting up only 282 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Matthews first three seasons were still a solid selling point as he entered free agency the following year, but the injuries and the sudden decline in production hurt his market. He signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, but didn’t even make it out of training camp.
Just a few weeks into the season, Matthews returned to a Philadelphia squad desperate for receivers.
As the Eagles would learn, Matthews wasn’t the same receiver he used to be. This was largely a result of playing just 32 percent of the Eagles’ offensive snaps.
Maybe if the Eagles had given Matthews more of a chance to get comfortable in the offense again he would have been able to produce more in the passing game. Golden Tate was clearly not the answer as the third receiver, and Matthews could have become the player he once was if given the chance.
Matthews failed to take advantage of the opportunities he was given. Despite being targeted just 28 times, he snagged 20 of those targets for 300 yards and two touchdowns that season. Matthews was a big part of the Week 8 win that year against the Jacksonville Jaguars with 93 yards, and also had a huge 37-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the Divisional Round matchup with the New Orleans Saints, showing up in the big moment once again.
With all this in mind, it seemed like Matthews would be able to earn another shot as a starter in the NFL.