The Falcons and left tackle Jake Matthews are finalizing a five-year, $75MM deal, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal positions Matthews as one of the three highest paid left tackles in the league. 
[RELATED: Julio Jones Reaches Compromise With Falcons]
Matthews, 26, has started every game he’s played in for the Falcons since entering the league as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Last year, the Texas A&M product graded out as the No. 14 tackle in the NFL, per the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Matthews’ 1,159 regular season snaps was the fourth-highest of any tackle in the NFL last season.
Initially, Matthews was scheduled to earn $12.496MM in 2018 before hitting the open market. With the new deal, he’ll earn even more – $15MM/year – while remaining under club control through 2023. It’s a whopper of a deal for a left tackle, and one that is only topped by Taylor Lewan‘s fat new contract with the Titans and Nate Solder‘s recent four-year, $62MM pact.
Next up for the Falcons may be a new deal with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Jarrett, a fifth round pick back in 2015, is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
More insanity.
He’s good, but $15M good?
Spending top dollar on premier offensive lineman is a smart investment. The Eagles offensive line allowed them to lead the league in time of possession the past 2 seasons and claim a championship.
I’m not disagreeing on the importance of OL’men – I’m questioning if Matthews is worth $15m per. He’s a top 20 getting paid as a top 3. He’s equal to Gurly in pay per year, but Gurly is a top 3 back, not top 20. And I get that LT is a premium position, but Matthews just doesn’t strike me as a shut down LT worth $15m per.
O linemen getting paid! Makes the cowboys deals for their 3 studs look like bargains..
I hate the Cowboys – the very reason I’m a Steelers fan, but I have to admit they did a great job drafting those players and locking them up. Now they just have to take advantage of them while they can.
O lineman making $1 mil per start. Never thought I would see the day.
O linemen have toiled in obscurity for decades never getting their just rewards. Brady, Rodgers and Brees would never be have been able to rewrite the record books without the protection these guys provide.