Report: Clay Matthews Expected to Miss One Month
The Packers linebacker is expected to miss one month with a broken thumb, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Packers LB Clay Matthews still is undergoing more testing, but he is expected to miss one month with a broken thumb.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2013
In an update since Mike McCarthy's Monday press conference, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Packers linebacker Clay Matthews is expected to miss a month of football with a broken thumb sustained in Sunday's win over the Detroit Lions.
The Packers will miss their best defensive player and the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL, but they seem to be in good shape at outside linebacker depth in the short-term.
It's doubtful that Mike Neal and Nick Perry can provide the same level of play that Matthews has provided over the course of his career, but the duo did perform well in the Packers' most recent game in Week 5 as Perry had two sacks and Neal added another.
Rookies Andy Mulumba and Nate Palmer provide depth as well.
It will be up to the Packers to stay afloat while Matthews is out, but they were able to do so a year ago when the linebacker missed four games at midseason due to a hamstring injury.
Perhaps more concerning is the increasingly fragile health of Matthews, who has dealt with hamstring injuries every year of his professional career, especially in light of giving him a six-year deal worth nearly $70 million this past offseason.
Matthews, however, did display an ability to play through pain during the Packers' Super Bowl season of 2010 when he persevered through a stress fracture in his shin for part of the year.
If Matthews will only miss one month, it's unlikely the Packers would use the short-term injured reserve designation, in which he'd have to miss at least six weeks of practice and eight weeks of games.
UPDATE:
Surgery on Packers LB Clay Matthews broken thumb is considered likely.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2013
Comments (37)
October 07, 2013 at 04:33 pm
Unfortunately, he's not a fast healer. Our next four games are Ravens, Browns, Vikings, and Bears. Here's to hoping he's back for that Chicago game.
October 07, 2013 at 04:33 pm
i for one will take it. could have been worse and he can make sure the hammy is ok long term.
if he misses only 3-4 games its not terrible. hopefully that's all it is
October 07, 2013 at 04:38 pm
Agreed, I can live with 4 weeks.
If we can go 3-1 with Walden and Moses, we should do ok the next four weeks with Neal and Perry.
October 07, 2013 at 04:46 pm
I completely agree... And I would rather miss 4 games then the rest of the season. And I would rather miss the 4 games now then at the end of the season.
October 07, 2013 at 09:49 pm
I would rather Clay miss 4 games than the rest of the season. I myself don't plan to miss any games. Watching, that is. Both thumbs and both hammies (mine) face almost no risk at all.
October 07, 2013 at 11:01 pm
You'll probably get carpal tunnel from playing w/ the remote. :)
October 07, 2013 at 04:44 pm
At least Clay's hammy should be well rested for the final 2 months of the season.
October 07, 2013 at 04:55 pm
Exactly!
October 07, 2013 at 04:47 pm
I think that Neal and Perry can be just fine for that stretch. Also I liked what I saw from Mulumba. I think they will be just fine.
Hopefully it will be just 4 weeks, not longer...
October 07, 2013 at 04:54 pm
Wow I am pleasantly surprised to see some positivity here along the lines of what I was also thinking; with the exception of the Ravens, the vast majority of the upcoming and remaining schedule doesn't scare me too much.
This may be a blessing in disguise. He can rest that hammy up even more and come back guns blazing later in the season.
Thanks fans for some sanity and common sense in your posts....
October 07, 2013 at 04:59 pm
Even the Ravens game isn't as scary as it would have been before the season. Neal and Perry will be more important for stopping Ray Rice and keeping him from controlling the game. I think they'll be able to provide enough pressure on the statue-esque Flacco, especially with how bad their OL has been. It'll be interesting to see how not only Neal and Perry step up, but also how guys like Daniels, Lattimore, Jones (getting more healthy each week), Mulumba and even Palmer step up to the plate.
October 07, 2013 at 05:06 pm
I agree.. I just look at it as they have more depth at OLB then they have in previous years.
I would rather have Clay for the whole season, but under the circumstances I would rather just miss him for a month then the year. And I would rather him miss the first half of the year then the 2nd.
We need him for the playoff run more then now.
I agree this could be a blessing in disguise. Gives Perry, Neal, Mulumba more opportunities.
October 07, 2013 at 05:03 pm
If I thought he was going to miss only 4 games, I would be more relieved than I was last night. I would bet everything I have that he misses 5+ however.
October 07, 2013 at 05:03 pm
He'll probably be back in 4 weeks, but with a cast.
Keep that in mind. He'll be playing one handed.
October 07, 2013 at 05:12 pm
Flynn just got released...Come back home son we need you
October 07, 2013 at 05:35 pm
I'm sorry, but when we start "need"ing someone just cut by the Raiders, we may as well fold up shop and go home.
October 07, 2013 at 05:26 pm
It's Nate Palmer.
October 07, 2013 at 05:33 pm
I'm very happy to see the positive comments as well. i was expecting to see "the sky is falling" over and over again. I suppose that the last time he was out for a month our team did well. Perhaps we will do well again this time too.
I am bummed that CM won't be playing next week as I have tickets to the Ravens game.
October 08, 2013 at 06:35 am
I will be going to this weeks game too and am super bummed not to see Clay play this week. On an turf surface he gets amazing jumps off the line. I just hope we can hang with the Ratbirds.
BTW.. are there any good places to go before the game around there? cocktail brunch maybe? Never ben there for a football and good nostalgic sports bars in the area?
October 07, 2013 at 05:36 pm
Just wondering---If Perry plays the next four games as well as he did yesterday would Greene/Capers ask Clay to move to strong side?
October 07, 2013 at 05:50 pm
They might ask but CM excels at the week side. Being there allows him to use his unbelievable skill to pressure the QB and disrupt the back field. The strong side guys have to worry about gap assignments and don't get that kind of freedom. Perry will be good at the weak side, but he won't be what Clay is.
October 07, 2013 at 06:01 pm
That's what I proposes especially if has a club on his hand the rest of the year.
October 07, 2013 at 11:11 pm
I can see them moving Mathews and Perry around. Not keeping them each on 1 side all the time. I think it would be good because they could throw offenses off, not game planning what side to attack and whatnot...
October 07, 2013 at 05:43 pm
Figured he would need surgery and miss a month. Damn I hate being right. Feel better after thd games Peery and Neal had tho. Win 3 of 4 and they'll be in control of the division again especially if they beat da bares. Go Pack and get well Clay!
October 07, 2013 at 05:45 pm
Pussy
October 07, 2013 at 06:23 pm
That's very offensive to women,Clay is certainly not that, we don't even know how much pain Clay is in, how much he's suffering, if you can make a comment like that...GET OFF THIS PAGE.
October 07, 2013 at 06:49 pm
Anyone that says this on the interwebs is automatically determined to be one in real life.
October 07, 2013 at 06:19 pm
If they are saying four make it seven. They always lie. Thumbs are bastards to heal. You have to keep them completely stable with no bumping or jostling or you start over again.
If he missed the rest of the season, I would not be shocked.
October 07, 2013 at 06:44 pm
When it was first reported they didn't know the length CM3 would be out I flashed on Brian Urlacher a couple years back when it was first reported he broke his wrist. Most assumed he could play the following week with it in a cast.
Nope, year ending injury.
October 07, 2013 at 10:51 pm
Wrist is different than a thumb. I've broken both may wrist and thumb on the right hand. They are much different in recovery and ability to play. With a wrist you can't put a club over it, you would have to club the arm from the elbow down. With a thumb you can just club/cast the whole hand and it'll immobilize the thumb to allow him to play. Just have to allow the bones to begin the fusion process and take effect. That's about a 4 wk process if its anything like my thumb. The wrist I had a cast past my elbow for 2 month and just below the elbow for another month.
Clay will be back in 4, maybe 5 wks at most playing w/ a club/cast on just the hand and just past the wrist.
October 07, 2013 at 06:20 pm
Sorry, get well soon Clay. We all miss you. Eat your mothers soup, that will help the healing a lot, trust me. Soup is good.
October 07, 2013 at 06:24 pm
Aww I love this comment and I agree:)
October 07, 2013 at 09:15 pm
Seriously, bone marrow broth.
Great for foundational yin essence. Nourish kidney yin to support bone.
October 07, 2013 at 08:08 pm
What would Jack Youngblood do?
October 07, 2013 at 08:15 pm
Clay CANNOT miss the Bear game!!!
October 07, 2013 at 08:19 pm
Which one... just as long as he's back for the second game vs Dud Bears and we're poised to be in the playoffs, I'm okay.
October 08, 2013 at 08:51 am
great opportunity for perry, neal and mulumba to step in an establish their own identity. spotlight is on. team needs you. time to grow. time to step up. last time the pack won it all, the team suffered a number of injuries and guys stepped in and stepped up. no different here. i'm excited for this team. I'm excited for this weekend. bring. it. on. clay will be back in plenty of time for the run.