Falcons LT Jake Matthews flew to Atlanta for son’s birth then back to Charlotte for TNF game

Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews had a wild day, rushing home to Atlanta for his first child’s birth then back to Charlotte for Thursday Night Football.

Playing on Thursday Night Football against the Panthers was bound to make Thursday a busy enough day for Jake Matthews. His newborn son made it even more hectic.

The Falcons left tackle apparently woke up to a bunch of missed calls in the morning letting him know his wife had gone into labor.

The kid was late. He was supposed to be born on Sunday. He waited until gameday, forcing his dad to jump on a plane back to Atlanta to witness the birth. There’s no question it was worth it for Matthews to get back home for that.

It didn’t mean he had to miss the game though. Falcons owner Arthur Blank had a plane waiting for him to get the key offensive lineman back to Charlotte.

Falcons LT Jake Matthews flew back and forth from Atlanta before TNF

Matthews made it just in time. Just before 7:00 p.m. ET, Matthews was spotted rushing to the Falcons’ locker room to get ready for the game.

Big congratulations are in order for the Matthews family and the arrival of their firstborn. Now the task is to add another win on the field on TNF.

Atlanta is fighting to take the lead in the NFC South. They came into the week tied with the Buccaneers with a 4-5 record. The game against the Panthers could be big for the division race.

Matthews has spent his entire career with the Falcons. They drafted him out of Texas A&M with the No. 6 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He has started 137 games for the team, making the Pro Bowl in 2018. He’s making his 138th start despite the flurry of activity on Thursday.