Browns: Clay Matthews has done more than enough to be a Hall of Famer

Clay Matthews is one of the greatest Cleveland Browns players to have ever dawned the team colors and it’s time the Pro Football Hall of Fame recognizes that.

The Cleveland Browns have a true-blue Hall of Fame player in Clay Matthews Jr., the father of beloved Green Bay Packer and OSU linebacker Clay Matthews III. The elder Matthews was the heart and soul of the Browns defense, playing 16 seasons in Cleveland before finishing his career in Atlanta. Spanning 19 total seasons, Matthews was the pinnacle of consistency.

Having only missed 25 games in his 19 years in the NFL (12 of which were in one season) Matthews showed up time and time again and did his job, helping lead the Brian Sipe and Bernie Kozar era’s to the playoffs. He was the defensive leader of the team and made it possible for the Browns to grind out games in the cold, Cleveland winters.

His pass-rushing skills were top-notch as well, finishing his career with 69.5 sacks. A number that would be much, much higher if the league had recorded the stat for the first five years of his career. Because of that, Matthews greatest talent – chasing down quarterbacks – didn’t have any numerical value until he was already 27. That’s part of the reason why it took him so long to make the Pro Bowl for the first time, despite being one of the better players at his position in the ’80s.

When he finally went at the age of 29, it was seen as a forgone conclusion that his time was running out in Cleveland. Instead, he’d play another eight seasons in Cuyahoga County, while going to another three Pro Bowls. He was a 1984 All-Pro selection and currently holds a spot in the Cleveland Browns ring of honor and is one of the more famous players to ever play during the ’80s renaissance of the team.

On top of that, Matthews is second all-time in games played (232) and currently first all-time in sacks (62.0)

The fact that Matthews, all these years later, still can’t get into the Hall of Fame is absolutely bonkers. He’s being punished because the sport he played in didn’t recognize key stats that are now integral to the spot itself. Had Matthews had his sacks recorded for the first five seasons of his career, then there’d be little doubt that Matthews would be in the Hall of Fame already.

He’s a modern-day marvel, being judged by yesterday’s metrics. There’s no good reason to not induct Matthews, especially when you realize how often he’s up for the nomination.

Yes, he’s up against some truly deserving prospects in their own right; men like Peyton Manning, Rodney Harrison, John Lynch, Alan Faneca, Jared Allen, Ronde Barber, and Calvin Johnson to name a few. Despite that, Matthews stats, level of play, and more importantly franchise-impact should be all one needs to get into the Hall of Fame.

Right the wrong already, Canton. Put Matthews in.