NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Clay Matthews

Bears

  • Bears HC Matt Eberflus hopes third-round WR Velus Jones will be available for Week 4 after missing three games with a hamstring injury: โ€œHeโ€™s been conditioning, working in there.โ€ (Courtney Cronin)
  • Jones said he โ€œdefinitely had a setbackโ€ regarding his hamstring injury, but said today was the best heโ€™s felt: โ€œI feel really good today.โ€ (Cronin)
  • Bears WR Darnell Mooney immediately caught balls off of the JUGS machine after the teamโ€™s game against Houston. Mooney dropped a catchable ball which left him frustrated: โ€œStill a little frustrated now. Just overall. Just not happy about my performance at all. I had the opportunities, you know. Had the chances to make some type of play and I just didnโ€™t be me.โ€ (Cronin)

Lions

Lions G Jonah Jackson said the bone and ligament injury in his finger is a โ€œweek-to-weekโ€ issue and heโ€™s waiting for the โ€œsensitivityโ€ on his finger to subside. 

โ€œHow Iโ€™m looking at it is just a week-to-week thing, day by day, see how it feels,โ€ Jackson said via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. โ€œItโ€™s definitely improving. Like, swellingโ€™s gone down tremendously, itโ€™s just a matter of the sensitivity going away, get through that.โ€

Jackson has been surprised to miss time with his finger injury after playing through multiple other issues throughout his career. 

โ€œThe crazy thing is, itโ€™s just, Iโ€™ve (played through) sprained MCLs, (injured) shoulders, collarbones and to think a finger, something so minute, (is keeping me out),โ€ Jackson said. โ€œBut it takes a big part into the game that we play, especially up front. How we win is with our hands and our feet.โ€

  • Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown remains day-to-day with a sprained ankle: โ€œItโ€™s frustrating, but Iโ€™m glad itโ€™s just a sprained ankle. It could be much worse. Like I said, itโ€™s just a sprained ankle. Just treating it day-by-day and hopefully I can come back sooner rather than later.โ€ (Eric Woodyard)

Packers

Former Packers OLB Clay Matthews spoke candidly about wishing he had finished his career in Green Bay, but the stars didnโ€™t align and he ended up moving on to the Rams.

โ€œI would have loved to finish my career there,โ€ Matthews said, via Pro Football Talk. โ€œBased on my discussions after that 2018 season, I thought we were going to continue moving forward. But yeah the manner in which it did kinda caught me by surprise. Ultimately it is what it is. I had fun in my year in L.A. It was a blast getting to go home and play with some incredible players.โ€

Matthews was later cut by the Rams, but when Rams assistant Joe Barry became the DC in Green Bay he thought there was a chance he could return. The situation never ended up coming to fruition.

โ€œHe had reached out to me,โ€ Matthews said of Barry. โ€œHe knew that I could still play and I think he knew if he had me, he could find a way to use me within the scheme. But nothing ever manifested, so I think ultimately there might have been powers above that didnโ€™t want that to happen. But yeah, there was a brief glimmer of hope of coming back. That didnโ€™t happen, but itโ€™s all good. But Iโ€™m at peace with my career.โ€

Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?

Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on X.com and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!

Leave a Reply