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The Philadelphia Eagles wouldn’t consider kicking the tires on Jordan Matthews again, or would they?
The Eagles selected Jordan Matthews in the second round of 2014’s draft. Things started relatively well as he scored eight touchdowns in back-to-back seasons and was three yards short of reaching the 1,000-yard milestone in 2015. The Vanderbilt product never got close to that type of production again once his first two seasons were over, and he’s been trending downwards ever since.
In his third NFL season, Matthews saw his numbers drop. He still hauled 73 receptions and racked up 804 yards receiving, but his touchdown total dropped from eight to three. He’s only scored six times since 2016.
The 2017 season wasn’t any better. That year, the Eagles sent the receiver and a third-round selection to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for cornerback Ronald Darby. Looking back, there wasn’t much about the transaction that was positive for either side. Philly recently parted ways with Darby, the Bills only got 25 receptions and 282 yards from Matthews, and neither has been able to show any consistency since the deal was made.
The Eagles brass believes in second chances though, so they brought Matthews back in 2018 just in time to start the season. He finished the year with 20 receptions for 300 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored on a 37-yard reception in the playoffs. It seemed like Matthews was on his way to a comeback before the team decided to let him test free agency.
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Matthews ended up signing with the 49ers and was cut before the season started. He returned in Week 7 but was released before he could unpack his belongings. Philly bought him in for the third time, and over the course of two games, he caught four passes on 12 targets.
Philly wouldn’t bring him back for the fourth time, would they? It would seem they’d be better off giving someone else a shot, but there is familiarity here, and when it’s all said and done, just in case things don’t work out, he also knows the way out.