Daily News 19

Tag: Green Bay Packers

  • Packers Legend Clay Matthews Looks Unrecognizable in Viral Photos

    Packers Legend Clay Matthews Looks Unrecognizable in Viral Photos

    Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has sparked widespread discussion online after recent paparazzi photographs captured the 40-year-old looking significantly different from the dominant pass rusher fans remember from his NFL prime. The images, taken while Matthews was running errands — grabbing coffee and groceries in a matching dark green outfit — quickly circulated on social media, prompting speculation about the cause of his transformed appearance.

    Facial Changes Draw Attention, Physique Remains Imposing

    While Matthews still wears his trademark long hair pulled back into a bun — a signature look throughout his career — his face appears to have undergone the most noticeable transformation. The photographs led to online conjecture regarding potential cosmetic procedures, though no confirmation exists that he has undergone any such work. The exact reason for the change in his facial appearance remains unclear.

    What remains instantly recognizable, however, is Matthews’ formidable build. Years after retiring, the former pass rusher maintains a physique that suggests he could still line up against NFL offensive tackles. His arms, shoulders, and legs looked particularly muscular as he carried bags to his vehicle, a vivid reminder of the physical presence that defined his decade-long reign as one of the league’s premier defensive players.

    From First-Round Pick to Packers Legend

    Selected 26th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, Matthews made an immediate impact in Green Bay. He recorded 10 sacks as a rookie, earned a Pro Bowl berth, and quickly established himself as a cornerstone of the Packers’ defense. His sophomore campaign was even more remarkable: 13.5 sacks in 2010, a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and a pivotal role in Green Bay’s run to a Super Bowl XLV championship.

    The Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in that title game, delivering Matthews the crowning achievement of his career. He also contributed one of the most memorable defensive plays of the postseason, with his pressure forcing a crucial fourth-quarter fumble by Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall.

    Decade of Dominance in Green Bay

    Green Bay became the defining chapter of Matthews’ career. Over 10 seasons with the Packers, he earned six Pro Bowl selections and retired as the franchise’s all-time sack leader since the statistic became official in 1982, amassing 83.5 quarterback takedowns. The organization honored his legacy with induction into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2024.

    Matthews concluded his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. Across 156 regular-season games, he totaled 91.5 sacks, ranking him among the most productive pass rushers in league history since sacks became an official statistic. His final season came at age 33, and he has now been away from the league for several years — yet the physical traits that made him a distinctive force on the field have clearly not diminished.

    Enduring Connection to Packers Legacy

    Since retirement, Matthews has remained closely connected to the Packers organization and is widely remembered as a central figure of the team’s successful era under former head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In 2026, he was again among the nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a candidacy that stands apart from his already cemented status in Green Bay history.

    Social Media Reacts to Transformation

    For longtime NFL fans, the latest images are less about Matthews’ decorated résumé and more about the striking evolution of his appearance. The long hair remains. The linebacker frame remains. But the face beneath that famous hairstyle has changed enough to make social media users do a double-take. While debate continues over the cause of the transformation, one certainty emerges: Matthews may be retired from football, but he has not lost the ability to turn heads.

  • Packers in Deep Trouble: Bad News for Micah Parsons as Josh Jacobs Becomes a Serious Problem

    Packers in Deep Trouble: Bad News for Micah Parsons as Josh Jacobs Becomes a Serious Problem

    The Green Bay Packers will be without star pass rusher Micah Parsons for at least the first month of the 2026 NFL season after placing him on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

    The roster designation guarantees that Parsons will miss Green Bay’s first four games as he continues recovering from a torn ACL. His absence is a significant setback for a defense built around his ability to pressure quarterbacks and change games from the edge.

    Micah Parsons remains cautious about his return

    A Week 6 matchup against Parsons’ former team, the Dallas Cowboys, had emerged as a popular target for his return. However, Parsons has repeatedly avoided committing to a specific timetable.

    “I think the people really want Week 6, I just want to come back when I’m feeling like myself again,” Parsons said. “I say Week 6 would be optimistic.”

    Although a return against Dallas would add intrigue, Parsons has made clear that the matchup will not dictate his rehabilitation. The key benchmark will be how he feels after being cleared to resume practicing.

    “The [21-day practice] window opens the first week of October, two, three weeks of practice, but the reality is you gotta feel like yourself, you gotta be moving again,” he said.

    “I don’t wanna go out there and embarrass myself. That’s a real feeling. Packer nation, just know, when I come back, it’s going to be up.”

    Week 6 return remains uncertain

    Parsons’ cautious approach reflects the importance of protecting his explosiveness and avoiding another setback. Green Bay acquired him as a long-term cornerstone, not as a short-term addition for one marquee game.

    Rushing Parsons back for a potential matchup with the Cowboys would make little sense if it compromised his performance or increased the risk of reinjury. At this stage, Week 6 remains a possibility rather than a guarantee.

    Packers face defensive challenge without Parsons

    Green Bay must find a way to replace the pressure normally generated by its best pass rusher. Lukas Van Ness is expected to take on a larger role, while veteran Javon Hargrave becomes even more important along the defensive front.

    There is no true substitute for a player of Parsons’ caliber, meaning the Packers will need a collective effort to manage his absence.

    The timing is particularly difficult because Green Bay is also dealing with uncertainty elsewhere on the roster. Running back Josh Jacobs has been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, creating the possibility that the Packers could open the season without two of their biggest names available.

    Parsons has not suffered a new setback, but his absence is now official. Green Bay will miss him for at least four games, with his eventual return depending on whether he feels like himself again.

    Source: www.marca.com

  • NFL Places Josh Jacobs on Commissioner’s Exempt List After Charges

    NFL Places Josh Jacobs on Commissioner’s Exempt List After Charges

    Josh Jacobs has been sidelined by the NFL amid his criminal case, TMZ Sports has learned.

    The league placed the Green Bay Packers star running back on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, according to information provided by the NFL. Jacobs may not practice or attend games while he’s…

  • Packers Acquire Running Back Kaleb Johnson at Cutdown Deadline

    Packers Acquire Running Back Kaleb Johnson at Cutdown Deadline

    The Green Bay Packers have added depth to their running back room by acquiring former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson in a trade on Sunday.

    Johnson, 23, was selected by the Steelers in the third round of last year’s NFL Draft after an All-American season at Iowa. However, he fell down Pittsburgh’s depth chart after the team signed Rico Dowdle and Travis Homer to support starter Jaylen Warren.

    As a rookie, Johnson recorded 28 carries for 69 yards, averaging 2.5 yards per attempt. That ranked third on the Steelers behind Warren and Kenneth Gainwell.

    Kaleb Johnson’s 2024 Steelers production

    Johnson finished fourth on Pittsburgh’s team in rushing yards last season. Tight end Jonnu Smith recorded nine carries for 70 yards and a touchdown, narrowly surpassing Johnson’s total.

    Smith, who previously played for Packers head coach Matt LaFleur when LaFleur was the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, signed with Green Bay earlier this week.

    Johnson also played 11 special-teams snaps across 10 games, including eight kickoff-return snaps on which he handled the ball. His special-teams experience appears to be largely limited to kickoff returns, a role that could go to wide receivers Skyy Moore and Savion Williams during the regular season. Johnson’s longest return last season went for 29 yards.

    The Steelers have not yet announced what compensation they will receive for Johnson, including whether the return will be a player or a draft pick.

    Source: www.acmepackingcompany.com

  • Despite Injury, Penn State’s Micah Parsons Predicted to Have an Insane Year

    Despite Injury, Penn State’s Micah Parsons Predicted to Have an Insane Year

    Micah Parsons could still produce the elite numbers fans have come to expect despite missing at least the first four games of the 2026 NFL season. The Green Bay Packers edge rusher is recovering from a serious ACL injury, but his ability to change a game at any moment has been evident since his college career at Penn State and the beginning of his NFL career.

    Parsons faces more adversity than ever, yet he is still expected to become a major defensive force when he returns to the Packers. ESPN recently projected that he will remain among the NFL’s most productive pass rushers, even with his extended absence.

    “The X factor is how much Parsons will play. Clay has Parsons projected to play 619 snaps this season, slightly down from the 669 he played in 14 games in 2025 — which indicates a slight increase in snaps per game if Parsons were to come back from his knee injury in Week 6 and play the rest of the season. Still, it’s incredible that Parsons is projected to miss a third of the season yet still manages to have the second-best forecast. How?”

    ESPN’s Seth Walder explained why Parsons remains ranked so highly compared with other premier defensive players such as Myles Garrett:

    “If we compare him to Myles Garrett, Parsons had a better pass rush win rate in each of the past two seasons, more sacks per game two years ago, is more than three years younger and is on a team that blitzes more. But if there’s one overriding reason Parsons is ranked here, it’s the combination of win rates alongside his previous double-digit sack seasons,” Seth Walder wrote.

    Even after the injuries Parsons has sustained, ESPN still expects him to finish among the NFL’s top five in sacks during the 2026 season. That projection will be difficult to achieve because he is expected to play fewer games than most of his peers, but it underscores his standing as one of the league’s most dominant defenders.

    ESPN’s latest forecast still has Parsons recording more than 11 sacks, a remarkable expectation for a player projected to miss roughly one-third of the season.

    Source: sports.yahoo.com

  • Sources: Dolphins Acquire QB Kyle McCord in Trade With Packers

    Sources: Dolphins Acquire QB Kyle McCord in Trade With Packers

    The Miami Dolphins have acquired quarterback Kyle McCord from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round draft pick, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

    McCord will become the new backup to Dolphins starting quarterback Malik Willis. Miami traded Quinn Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday and waived Cam Miller on Sunday, a source told Schefter.

    Dolphins acquire Kyle McCord from Packers

    The sixth-round pick sent to Green Bay is the same selection Miami received in the trade that sent Ewers to Jacksonville.

    McCord signed with the Packers in January after spending the 2025 season on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad. Philadelphia drafted him in the sixth round last year.

    Green Bay signed veteran Tyrod Taylor during the offseason to back up starting quarterback Jordan Love. McCord started and played the entire preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals on Friday, leading the Packers to a 42-38 victory with a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.

    McCord threw four touchdown passes without an interception in the preseason finale.

    “He did a heck of a job, man,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “He was so just poised in his ability to operate and function. I think he’s, he definitely has the demeanor, no doubt about it. He’s in total control out there, and he’s willing to stand in the pocket, deliver in the face of pressure. And yeah, I thought he did an outstanding job.”

    When training camp began, McCord split time with Kyron Drones as the Packers’ third- or fourth-string quarterback. After a strong performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason opener, Green Bay released Drones and gave McCord all of the No. 3 reps behind Love and Taylor.

    “That was the big goal this preseason, like I said in Pittsburgh, to prove that I could play at this level,” McCord said after the Cardinals game. “I feel like the NFL, what we saw tonight, being down two possessions late in the game, being able to come back and make the most out of those drives is huge. Every single game in the NFL comes down to those situations. Like I said earlier, situational football this preseason has been really good. Yeah, I definitely think I accomplished that this preseason.”

    The Packers will need to add a third quarterback, likely to their practice squad. They could have attempted to bring McCord back if he cleared waivers, but doing so would have risked losing him without receiving compensation.

    ESPN’s Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.

  • Clay Matthews’ Dramatic New Look Revealed in TMZ Photos — But There’s a Catch

    Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews became the subject of viral AI-generated images published by TMZ, showing a dramatically altered version of the retired NFL star. The photos, which circulated on social media platform X and Instagram, depict Matthews with an exaggerated jawline and cheekbones while retaining his signature long hair.

    TMZ Labels Posts as Paid Partnership

    TMZ categorized the X post as an advertisement and the Instagram version as a paid partnership, though the sponsoring entity has not been disclosed. The caption on X read: “Clay Matthews was spotted out grabbing groceries looking VERY different after apparently getting some work done.”

    Matthews Plays Along with the Joke

    The Packers’ all-time sacks leader appeared to embrace the humor. Responding to a post from the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast, Matthews posted “Gigaclay” accompanied by a muscle emoji, signaling his participation in the meme.

    Broadcast Role for 2026 Season

    Beyond the viral moment, Matthews is set to join Netflix’s studio coverage for the upcoming NFL season. He will appear alongside host Elle Duncan, Michael Irvin, and Nick Foles. Their Week 1 assignment takes them to Australia for the San Francisco 49ers versus Los Angeles Rams matchup.

    Matthews retired following the 2019 season after establishing himself as Green Bay’s franchise sack leader.