With one year left on his rookie deal, Packers linebacker Clay Matthews could be in line for a contract extension this offseason.
Whether or not he gets it, he’ll be getting a raise for the 2013 season. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Matthews has hit escalators in his rookie deal that will raise his salary from $1.492 million (up from $805,000 thanks to an earlier escalator) to $3.73 million. As a result, his cap number will also rise to $4.91 million.
That leaves Matthews with the eighth-highest salary on the team, a placement that doesn’t quite fit with his level of importance to the team’s defense. An extension would likely bring things more in line with reality, although it would be hard for him to land a bigger deal than the set to pay $9.75 million to quarterback Aaron Rodgers next season. There’s been extension chatter about Rodgers as well, so both players could see their numbers rise.
The Packers cleared out some extra cap space by excising Charles Woodson from the roster. One way or the other, Matthews is going to be soaking up some of it.