There are few men in the NFL more reliable than Atlanta Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews. Despite battling an ankle injury suffered in Week 6, Matthews made his 184th consecutive start in the Falcons' Week 7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football.
Matthews' streak marked the longest active streak in the NFL, and it's something you rarely see in modern football. The 33-year-old has not missed a start since Week 2 of his rookie season, which led to former Philadelphia Eagles star center Jason Kelce praising him on social media.
"Jake Matthews starting tonight is awesome!," Kelce wrote. "184 starts and counting is f****g insane, true iron man!"
To hear that level of praise from one of the best linemen of this generation speaks volumes. The 37-year-old hung up his cleats after the 2023 season, and remains one of the most invested recent retirees in recent memory—and now is hyping up his fellow Pro Bowler.
Jake Matthews just received massive props from Jason Kelce after career milestone
Matthews was no lock to play after his injury in the late second quarter saw him miss the entire second half against the Bills on Monday Night Football. Despite missing their star tackle, the Dirty Birds prevailed 24-14, with offseason acquisition Michael Jerrell doing a solid job to keep the unit afloat in his absence.
The Texas A&M product didn't practice on Wednesday or Thursday, but managed to log a limited session on Friday afternoon—which saw him enter Sunday as a game-time decision. However, Raheem Morris never expressed doubt about his status, knowing that the ironman would suit up.
Despite having just one Pro Bowl to his name compared to Kelce's seven, Matthews has continued to play at a high level in 2025. According to Pro Football Focus, his 70.1 PFF grade ranks 32nd among all tackles, while his 83.3 pass block grade ranks sixth among 114 qualified tackles.
Kelce, meanwhile, won Super Bowl LII with the Eagles back in 2018 and is a six-time First-Team All Pro. The Cleveland Heights native is a lock to be donning a gold jacket one day, as the Kelce family is likely to see both of their sons be named Hall-of-Famers in the near future.
Since retiring, he's continued The New Heights podcast with his brother Travis, and has joined ESPN as an NFL analyst—often contributing during and after Monday Night Football.
There are few people who understand how difficult it is to accomplish what Matthews has during his time in Atlanta—especially on the offensive line—but Kelce is making sure the 12-year veteran gets his flowers for playing through a high-ankle sprain.