Clay Matthews was taken by surprise that Packers no longer wanted him

Earlier this offseason, star outside linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. saw his tenure with the Packers come to an abrupt end. He played each of his 10 years in the league with the franchise.

Matthews Jr. was able to quickly latch onto to the Los Angeles Rams. He signed a two-year deal for this next chapter of his career. However, the change of scenery was one that was forced upon him. Green Bay had essentially given him the boot after a decade in the NFL, according to Mike Silver of NFL Network.

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“I was kind of taken aback, because I thought I’d always be back there, whether it was at a cheaper price [or not],” Matthews said. “So that was kind of a shock, because [my family] stayed out there and had our third child in the offseason, and I was hanging in town training there and everything. And yeah, that was kind of a surprise to me because I just figured I would be out there a few more years.

“People say, ‘You chose to go to L.A.’ I didn’t choose. They told me there was no room for me.”

It was clear Matthews Jr. had plans to return to the franchise this offseason. However, that was pushed out of his hands by the front office. Although it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as the Packers has had a recent history of this. It’s not unusual to see them departing from their older veteran players who were cornerstone pieces.

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This has seen them move on from the likes of Charles Woodson, Jordy Nelson, and Mike Daniels. Green Bay cut those veterans despite each of their desires to stay with the team. Green Bay has shown a willingness to move on when they believed that the player’s best years have passed them.

That said, Matthews Jr. has joined a potential powerhouse in the Rams where he has a chance to possibly compete for a Super Bowl title.