Jake Matthews is set to make history on Sunday when he starts his 200th career game for the Atlanta Falcons. This milestone makes him just the fourth player in team history to reach 200 or more starts, highlighting his incredible longevity with the franchise. Matthews has spent his entire 13-year NFL career with Atlanta, becoming one of the longest-tenured players in team history.
Reaching 200 starts is an accomplishment Matthews admitted he didn’t fully appreciate until this week. “To be honest, I wasn’t fully aware,” he said. “But pretty surreal.”
Matthews quickly deflected credit for his longevity, instead pointing to his ability to stay healthy and the support system around him. “I can’t reiterate enough how much God has blessed me to have a body that can continue to do this and stay free from injury,” he said. “Just very thankful to him and how good he’s been to me.”
He has missed only one game in his career, a remarkable run that started in 2014. Interestingly, his first start was also against the New Orleans Saints, adding a poetic touch to Sunday’s game. “I got hurt in that game,” Matthews recalled. “Man, feels like a lifetime.”
Matthews reflected on how much he’s changed since his early days. “Completely different person,” he said. “It’s pretty cool how far I’ve come and how long it’s been here.”
The Saints have been part of some of Matthews’ most memorable moments, including the Falcons’ Super Bowl season in 2016. Now, he’ll return to New Orleans for his 200th start. “It’s pretty surreal,” he said. “Obviously going down there, playing that environment, it’s always special. It’s gonna be loud, it’s gonna be challenging.”
Off the field, Matthews’ family has become increasingly important. He and his wife, Meggi, are expecting their third child. “She’s been a huge part of the second half of my career,” he said. “She sacrifices a lot for me to be out here.”
The demands of raising a family have shifted his perspective. “I was pretty used to going home to do what I want whenever I want to do it,” Matthews shared. “Now, it’s, you gotta put other people in front of yourself.”
As he prepares for this historic start, Matthews isn’t focused on a specific number of games left. “You keep chipping away, you make it through each week, and then you wake up one day, and it’s like the 13th season, like 200 games,” he said. “So, I keep that formula going.”
Matthews will add another chapter to his remarkable run as the Falcons face the Saints on Monday Night.
