Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is no stranger to Hall of Fame-caliber talent, having coached legends like Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson, and current superstar Myles Garrett, among others.
One of those defenders he spent time with isn’t yet in the Hall of Fame, but Schwartz is advocating for Clay Matthews Jr.’s induction.
“He played middle linebacker, he played outside linebacker, off the ball, could play 3-4 outside linebacker, could rush as a defensive end. I got the fortune, I was around Clay here and then got to spend some years with his brother Bruce at Tennessee. His son kicked my butt when he was in Green Bay. I’m rooting for him,” Schwartz said.
Not shocked Jim Schwartz advocated for Clay Matthews Jr to get into the HOF
Schwartz was a personnel scout with the #Browns before the move- he understands this franchise more than any other coach on this staff
pic.twitter.com/l0RskcnimG— Mac🦬 (@tha_buffalo) October 23, 2025
Matthews finished with 82.5 sacks, 24 forced fumbles and 16 interceptions during his 19-year career, 16 of which were with the Browns, which are numbers that warrant legitimate Hall of Fame consideration.
For a player who retired almost 30 years ago, Matthews is receiving consideration from the Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee.
He is undeniably one of the most impactful players in Browns history and has numbers worthy of induction.
What he doesn’t have are the individual accolades, as he made four Pro Bowls but was never an All-Pro selection and didn’t win any major awards.
He also had just two sacks in 11 playoff games and was never a Super Bowl champion.
It’s always nice to hear a coach with this kind of history sharing stories with the media, and it would be even nicer if the Hall does choose to honor Matthews.
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