Cleveland Browns Matthews went undrafted in the
2011 NFL draft. The
Cleveland Browns signed Matthews as an undrafted
free agent. During the final cuts at the end of
training camp, he was released.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (first stint) Matthews signed with the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the
Canadian Football League (CFL) for the
2012 season. In his rookie year, he played in all 18 games of the regular season, and compiled 1,192 yards on 81 receptions with seven touchdowns en route to winning the 2012
CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award. During the
2013 season, Matthews' performance was hampered by a serious
turf toe injury which caused him to miss all but four games of the regular season. He finished the season with only 14 catches for 138 yards and one touchdown. Matthews was released by the Blue Bombers. In the offseason, he worked at
Foot Locker and as a
security guard. On February 18, 2014, Matthews signed with the Seahawks on a 2014 reserve/future contract. After four preseason games in which he caught four passes for 53 yards, Seattle released him on August 30, 2014. On August 31, 2014, it was announced that he had been signed to their
practice squad. He was signed to the Seahawks' 53-man roster on December 6, 2014. He played in three regular season games for the Seahawks in the
2014 season, and did not catch a pass. In the
2014 NFC Championship Game versus the
Green Bay Packers, Matthews recovered a critical
onside kick, which gave the Seahawks an opportunity to score and eventually win the game in overtime. In
Super Bowl XLIX against the
New England Patriots, Matthews caught his first NFL career catch, a 44-yard pass from
Russell Wilson. He then caught an 11-yard pass for his first NFL touchdown at the end of the first half, tying the game 14–14. Matthews finished the game with four catches for 109 yards, tied with the Patriots'
Julian Edelman as the game's leading receiver, but the Patriots defeated the Seahawks 28–24. For his performance he received consideration for Super Bowl MVP honors which was ultimately won by Patriots quarterback
Tom Brady. During the game, the value of Matthews's rookie card reportedly soared by 3,500%. Matthews played in nine games for Seattle during the 2015 season, catching four passes for 54 yards on nine targets while also posting one solo tackle. He appeared in 134 snaps on offense and 98 snaps on special teams in 2015. Seattle had given him the option of returning to the
practice squad, but Matthews declined saying “I felt like I was too far ahead for that. I didn’t want to go back to that life.” He was promoted to the active roster on December 12, 2015. He scored his only NFL career regular season touchdown on December 27, 2015, against the
Pittsburgh Steelers. On April 7, 2016, Matthews signed his exclusive rights free agent tender to remain with the Ravens. On September 3, 2016, he was placed on injured reserve. On September 2, 2017, Matthews was released by the Ravens, but was re-signed two days later. He was released again on November 3, 2017. According to
Sports Illustrated, Matthews was a "heartwarming story, a guy who’d gone from hiding in plain sight to the cusp of Super Bowl history to the unemployment line, in less than a calendar year". With the Stampeders winning the Grey Cup, Matthews became a crucial pickup making 12 receptions for 252 yards in four remaining regular season games. In two playoff games, Matthews contributed seven catches for 98 yards en route to winning the Grey Cup.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (second stint) On May 10, 2019, the Blue Bombers announced they had signed Matthews to a three-year contract. He played in six games for the team, recording 12 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown before being released on August 28, 2019.
Montreal Alouettes Two days after being released by Winnipeg, Matthews signed with the
Montreal Alouettes. Matthews played in five games in the second half of the season, and helped Montreal secure its first playoff berth since 2015, by catching nine passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns. ==Personal life==