Jordan Matthews facts for kids
Matthews in 2014
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| Position: | Tight end | ||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | July 16, 1992 Madison, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 236 lb (107 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Academy (Madison) | ||||||
| College: | Vanderbilt (2010–2013) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2014 / Round: 2 / Pick: 42 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Jordan Armand Matthews (born July 16, 1992) is an American professional football tight end. He played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Philadelphia Eagles chose him in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. Matthews began his NFL career as a wide receiver before changing to a tight end after the 2020 season.
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Early Life and High School Football
Jordan Matthews was born on July 16, 1992, in Madison, Alabama. He went to Madison Academy, where he played both football and basketball. In his senior year, he helped his football team achieve a great 12–1 record. During his high school career, Jordan caught 181 passes for 3,218 yards and scored 38 touchdowns.
Matthews was a highly-rated player. He received scholarship offers from several colleges. He decided to commit to Vanderbilt University on December 26, 2009.
College Football Career
Jordan Matthews played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Freshman and Sophomore Years
As a freshman in 2010, Matthews had 15 catches for 181 yards and four touchdowns. In 2011, his sophomore year, he improved with 41 catches for 778 yards and five touchdowns.
Junior and Senior Years
In 2012, as a junior, Matthews was named to the First-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) team. He finished that season with 94 catches for 1,323 yards and eight touchdowns.
As a senior in 2013, Matthews was again a First-team All-SEC player. He was also named a First-team All-American by several sports groups. During this season, he set new SEC records for career catches and career receiving yards. He also set the SEC record for most catches in a single season with 112.
In his final college game, the 2014 BBVA Compass Bowl, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). He caught five passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in that game.
College Records and Graduation
Overall, during his college career, Matthews had 262 catches for 3,759 yards. Both of these numbers are school records and SEC records. His 24 career touchdowns are also the most in Vanderbilt history.
Matthews graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in economics.
Professional Football Career
Jordan Matthews was chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He was the 42nd player picked overall.
First Time with the Philadelphia Eagles (2014–2016)
Matthews signed a four-year contract with the Eagles on May 27, 2014. He scored his first two career touchdowns in a game against the Washington Redskins. In a game against the Carolina Panthers, he caught 7 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He finished his first season with 67 catches for 872 yards and eight touchdowns.
In 2015, his second year, Matthews started strong with 10 catches for 102 yards against the Atlanta Falcons. He had a great game against the Arizona Cardinals, with eight catches for 159 yards and one touchdown. He ended the season with 85 catches for 997 yards and eight touchdowns.
In 2016, Matthews started his third year with a win against the Cleveland Browns. He had seven catches for 114 yards and one touchdown. This was his best game of the season. He finished the season with 73 catches for 804 yards and three touchdowns.
Buffalo Bills (2017)
On August 11, 2017, the Eagles traded Matthews to the Buffalo Bills. He made his debut with the Bills on September 10, catching two passes for 61 yards. He caught his first touchdown with the Bills in a win against the Atlanta Falcons. However, he broke his right thumb in that game. He later suffered a knee injury and was placed on injured reserve. He finished the 2017 season with 25 catches for 282 yards and one touchdown.
New England Patriots (2018)
Matthews signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots on April 5, 2018. However, he was released on August 1, 2018, due to a hamstring injury.
Second Time with the Philadelphia Eagles (2018)
The Eagles re-signed Matthews on September 19, 2018, to help their team. In a game against the Tennessee Titans, he scored a 56-yard receiving touchdown. He finished this stint with 20 catches for 300 yards and two touchdowns. He also had one catch for 37 yards and a touchdown in two playoff games.
San Francisco 49ers (2019–2022)
Matthews signed with the San Francisco 49ers on March 14, 2019. He was released and re-signed a few times during 2019. He was part of the 49ers team that reached Super Bowl LIV in 2020, though they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 2020, he was signed to the 49ers' practice squad and was moved to the active roster for a couple of games. After the 2020 season, Matthews announced he was changing his position from wide receiver to tight end. He gained 30 pounds to prepare for this new role. He re-signed with the 49ers in 2021 and 2022. In August 2022, he suffered a torn ACL (a knee injury) and was placed on injured reserve for the season.
Carolina Panthers (2023–2025)
On October 25, 2023, Matthews was signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad. He was moved to the active roster on November 7, 2023. He was released and re-signed to the practice squad multiple times in 2024. On May 8, 2025, Matthews was released by the Panthers.
NFL Career Statistics
| Key | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career High |
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2014 | PHI | 16 | 10 | 67 | 872 | 13.0 | 44 | 8 |
| 2015 | PHI | 16 | 12 | 85 | 997 | 11.7 | 78 | 8 |
| 2016 | PHI | 14 | 13 | 73 | 803 | 11.0 | 54 | 3 |
| 2017 | BUF | 10 | 7 | 25 | 282 | 11.3 | 47 | 1 |
| 2018 | PHI | 14 | 3 | 20 | 300 | 15.0 | 56 | 2 |
| 2019 | SF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| PHI | 2 | 1 | 4 | 33 | 8.3 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2020 | SF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | SF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | CAR | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 76 | 46 | 274 | 3,288 | 12.0 | 78 | 22 | |
Personal Life and Family
Jordan Matthews is married to Chicago Red Stars soccer player Cheyna Williams. She also attended Vanderbilt University. They have two sons together. Matthews is a Christian.
Jordan's parents are Brenda and Rod Matthews. He has one brother named Justin. Jordan Matthews is related to Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice. Jerry Rice's cousin is Jordan's mother.
Matthews is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Charity Work
Jordan Matthews is involved in charity work through his foundation called Matthews Mission. On July 7, 2018, he hosted his second Vanderbilt Legends Charity Softball Game. This event raised money for YWCA and AMEND Together, which are organizations that work to stop domestic violence. The event included a home run derby and a softball game with former Vanderbilt athletes.
