Becoming Iron Man in the NFL is a lot tougher than calling your nano-tech suit over from wherever you’ve stashed it like Tony Stark. It takes literal decades of hard work, consistency, and reliability.
To achieve an NFL Iron Man streak—a significant streak of consecutive games played or started—you have to not only be tough and healthy, you have to actually be good at your job too. And while Atlanta Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews doesn’t get the plaudits he maybe should, he has been among the cream of the crop at left tackle for a dozen years now.
His streak of consecutive starts, which star WR Drake London called "insane," will reach 192 in Week 15. That is by far the longest active Iron Man streak in the NFL (Kevin Byard is second, at 151). It’s also good for a tie with Jon Runyan for eighth all-time among offensive lineman.
Considering his father, Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, is No. 2 on that list (229 consecutive), it’s worth asking: how the heck do the Matthews’ do it?
Many a young NFL grasshopper has asked Jake that very question. Falcons wideout Darnell Mooney was the latest. And as you might guess, there’s no easy “Michael’s Secret Stuff” Space Jam-type solution. In fact, Matthews’ answer was so boring it was almost disappointing.
“He said, he pretty much just listens to what he is told, does the work and goes home to be with his family,” revealed Mooney.
It’s pretty much the same answer his father used to give teammates all the time and continues to give to journalists such as The Athletic’s Josh Kendall:
“I’d love to say it was some special workout that I did or Jake has done. But at the end of the day, God has just blessed us with bodies that could just take the pounding,” Bruce said.
And God certainly seems to be a big part of it. Jake also credits the Almighty with keeping him healthy through 12 gruelling seasons of NFL football. But surely, genetics have also played a part considering the longevity of not just Bruce and his son Jake, but the entire Matthews NFL dynasty.
The Matthews Family NFL dynasty puts even the Mannings to shame
All in, the Matthews family has started 941 NFL regular season games (and 46 in the postseason). And it all started in the 1940s.
Before Bruce, there was William Clay Matthews, who started 40 games for the San Francisco 49ers in the 1940s and 1950s.
William’s younger son, Bruce, started 293 games (and made 14 Pro Bowls) all over the offensive line of the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans from 1983-2001. That’s by far the most in NFL history for a non-QB, and third-best overall behind only Tom Brady and Brett Favre.
William’s eldest son and namesake, William Clay Matthews II (better known as Clay), also made four Pro Bowls and started 248 games over the course of a near-two decade career.
Clay’s son, also named Clay (Clay the Third, if you will), was drafted in 2009 and won a Super Bowl with the Packers the next year. He started 150 games across 11 seasons in the NFL, earning himself six Pro Bowls as well.
Clay’s brother, Casey Matthews, wasn’t quite on the level, but he still started 15 games across four seasons at linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Then there’s Bruce’s kids. His eldest, Kevin, had a cup of coffee and three starts with his dad’s Titans from 2010-2012. But his younger son Jake is obviously the crown jewel of this latest generation. The current scion of the Matthews’ NFL dynasty.
If he finishes off this season and starts a few more full campaigns, Jake Matthews would very well break Hall of Famer Mick Tinglehoff’s offensive lineman record of 240 consecutive starts, which has stood since the 1970s.
If he doesn’t miss another game, Matthews would be at 239 by the end of the 2027 season. Stranger things have happened.