30 NFL players you won’t believe never won an award

28. Clay Matthews III
Pro Football Hall of Fame: eligible in 2025

Clay Matthews feels like his impact to the game is a little underrated today. Maybe that’s counterintuitive to what this list is trying to convey. We’re looking at the players who feel like they had a bigger impact, or at least a player that had enough of an impact to be in awards contention. Clay Matthews III felt like a player who was always considered one of the most impactful defensive players in the league. However, he might have been overshadowed by his offensive co-horts. 

This feels the same as, say, a Chris Jones in Kansas City. We know he’s one of the very best in the league, but he doesn’t get the rightful credit because he plays with Patrick Mahomes. For Matthews, it was playing with Aaron Rodgers. 

Matthews lost the Defensive Rookie of the Year to fellow linebacker Brian Cushing. His second season was his best, where he had 13.5 sacks, 54 solo tackles, 25 QB hits, and one interception for touchdown. He did a little bit of everything, and he was imperative for the success of the 2010 Green Bay Packers. 

Despite the season, Matthews lost the Defensive Player of the Year vote by two measly votes. He lost the contest to Steelers great Troy Polamau. He never quite reached those heights, but he was always really good, and it’s no surprise the Packers won the Super Bowl in Matthews best season.