Jordan Matthews released by Patriots just a few months after signing with New England [UPDATE]

Jordan Matthews’ post-Philadelphia Eagles playing career has not been going so well for him.

His struggles began when he was traded (along with the Eagles’ 2018 third round pick) to Buffalo in exchange for Ronald Darby around this time last summer. Matthews only managed to log 25 receptions for 282 yards and one touchdown during an injury plagued 2017 season.

With the Bills showing no real interest in retaining him, Matthews headed to free agency. And after originally signing with the Patriots back in April, Matthews is now back on the market after reportedly being released by New England on Wednesday afternoon.

Matthews suffered a “serious” hamstring injury during the Patriots’ Sunday practice. As I already mentioned, this is hardly the first injury issue the 26-year-old wide receiver has dealt with in recent years.

It’s a shame that Matthews hasn’t been able to find success in the league. He seemed like a nice guy that players loved to be around. We all know he had a tight relationship with Carson Wentz. (Before you ask, no, he’s not coming back. The Eagles are already set at receiver. Doug Pederson literally just said the position is the deepest it’s ever been during his tenure.)

It should be clear now, though, that some of the “outrage” when the Eagles traded JMatt last summer wasn’t deserved. The fact that he’s potentially going to be on his fourth team in the span of a year lends credence to the idea that he wasn’t as good as his stats made him out to be. I’d also argue that Matthews’ absence contributed to the Eagles’ offensive improvement last season.

It goes without saying that last year’s JMatt-Darby trade was a win for the Eagles. The Birds ultimately gave up one year of a receiver they didn’t really need anyway, plus a very late third round pick (No. 96 overall), in exchange for two years of an affordable, quality starting cornerback.

Anyway, here’s hoping JMatt heals up and finds another opportunity.

UPDATE: Matthews was placed on injured reserve, not released. But it’s very possible he could be waived off IR with an injury settlement.