Jake Matthews has spent most of his Falcons career as the steady answer. Now he’s suddenly the question.
That’s a strange place to be for a player who has been almost impossibly durable in Atlanta. Matthews is in his 13th NFL season, hasn’t missed a game since Week 2 of his rookie year back in September 2014, and even pushed through the final 13 games of 2025 with a high-ankle sprain. For years, he’s been the kind of left tackle a team can count on no matter how much else around him changes.
But at 34, the downturn Atlanta probably knew would come eventually appears to be here. The Falcons lead the NFL in pressure rate allowed entering Week 4, and Matthews has not been the reason they’re surviving. Bill Callahan has gotten improvement out of just about everyone on the offensive line except him.
The numbers back up the eye test. Pro Football Focus has Matthews at a 46.1 grade, which puts him 67th among 70 qualified tackles.
He’s 62nd in pass blocking grade and 69th in run blocking grade. By those measures, he’s sitting near the bottom of the league at his position.
The tape has been rough, too. Against the Packers in Week 3, Matthews was beaten badly by Lukas Van Ness on a rush around the edge. Van Ness turned the corner with speed and power, and the only thing that kept it from becoming another sack on the ledger was Michael Penix Jr. getting the ball out and then being flagged for intentional grounding.
Bro, Lukas Van Ness beats Jake Matthews so fast here.
Sheseeesh! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Hnypn88ADa
- Hogg (@HoggNFL) September 25, 2026
The surprise isn’t that Matthews has had issues at some point. It’s that the concern around this line was supposed to be elsewhere. Plenty of people were looking at Jawaan Taylor as the shaky spot, but Matthews has become the bigger problem, and opposing defenses know it.
That sets up a tough Monday night in New Orleans. The Falcons head to face the Saints in Week 4, and that matchup doesn’t offer much relief for Atlanta’s left tackle. Bijan Robinson should have room to work again, but that does little for the pass protection issue.
The Saints bring a loaded pass rush with Chase Young, Carl Granderson, Cameron Jordan and former Falcon Kaden Elliss. Matthews will likely see plenty of Young, and that’s the matchup Atlanta would least want right now.
Young, the former No. 2 overall pick, has 3.5 sacks through three games, tied for fourth in the NFL with T.J. Watt.
He also has 12 pressures, which ties him with Atlanta’s Cameron Thomas for 11th in the league. He’s on pace for what could be a career year in sacks.
And if Matthews’ work against Watt is any indication, this is a bad setup. Watt sacked Cooper Rush twice and added a game-clinching pick-six. That doesn’t mean the same thing is coming Monday with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback, but Matthews has already shown he can struggle against top pass rushers.
Atlanta may have trusted Matthews for a long time. Now the Falcons may have to start thinking about finding his long-term successor at left tackle.
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Falcons' Early Draft Outlook Could Shape Their Next Big Decision
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Harold Perkins Jr. Is Pushing Falcons Toward A Bigger Defensive Decision
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Perkins next step is less about whether he belongs and more about how much Atlanta can ask of him. The run defense still needs work, but the Falcons are weighing whether his early play is enough to expand his role as the season goes on. For a defense always looking for more speed and flexibility, that is the kind of decision worth watching. [Read more 🡒]