Extraordinary Player’s Done Deal Sets NFL Alight with Anticipation!”
Cornerback Christian Matthew’s second NFL season seemed over when the Chicago Bears wrapped up the 2023 campaign with a 17-9 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Matthew was on the field for 83 special-teams plays in the first four games of the 2023 season with the Arizona Cardinals.
Released by Arizona on Oct. 2, Matthew joined the Chicago practice squad two days later. He appeared in two games on special teams for the Bears in the remainder of the season.
Matthew played for Samford in 2018 and 2019, then moved to Valdosta State as a graduate transfer. Because the coronavirus pandemic caused the NCAA Division II schedule to be canceled in 2020, he had to wait to 2021 to earn All-Gulf South Conference recognition and help Valdosta State reach the NCAA Division II championship game.
The Cardinals chose Matthew in the seventh round of the NFL Draft on April 30, 2022. He played in 14 games, with three starts as a rookie. In addition to 180 special-teams plays, Matthew played 235 defensive snaps in 2022.
At 7-10, the Bears didn’t make the NFL playoffs. But Matthew will be working with Baltimore Ravens this week as they prepare to enter the AFC postseason as the No. 1 seed.
On Tuesday, the Ravens announced they had signed the former Samford standout to their practice squad while releasing defensive back Jeremy Lucien.
The Ravens play the Houston Texans at 3:30 p.m. CST Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. ABC and ESPN will televise the game.