Top 30 NFL players not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

7. OLB Clay Matthews Jr.

His brother Bruce, the ninth overall pick in the fabled 1983 NFL Draft, was enshrined in Canton Ohio back in 2007. The 14-time Pro Bowler and seven-time All-Pro, who at one time started at all five positions on the offensive line, spent all of his 19 seasons in the league with the Houston Oilers/turned Tennessee Titans.

Many feel that Bruce’s older brother Clay Matthews Jr. deserves a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well. There are some other similarities. Both came from USC and both were first-round picks, with Clay being the 12th overall pick in 1978. Both played 19 NFL seasons, only the older Matthews spent his first 16 years with the Cleveland Browns and the last three with the Atlanta Falcons.

Clay Matthews totaled at least 100 tackles eight times. The four-time Pro Bowler finished with 82.5 sacks, 27 forced fumbles, 16 interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries. He was part of eight teams that reached the postseason, including those three Browns’ squads that fell short in the AFC Championship Game in 1986, 1987 and ’89.

The closest Clay Matthews Jr. was a Senior Committee Semifinalist for the Class of 2024 but failed to reach the next round. Who knows what the future holds for the durable defender?