Jake Matthews has been as reliable as they come for the Atlanta Falcons.
The offensive tackle has an incredible consecutive games started streak, but it's in jeopardy as Atlanta prepares to take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football in Week 5. An injury is putting the streak at risk.
Matthews had to leave Week 4 Monday Night Football early, and his status this week looks like it could go up until sometime on Sunday to decide whether he's on the field to play the Ravens.
Matthews is officially questionable to play in Week 5.
The Falcons' final injury report came out on Friday, and it showed Matthews in the questionable category with a groin injury.
That label is classically viewed as a 50-50 proposition, although not all questionable tags are created equal.
A groin injury obviously isn't ideal for a left tackle who has to shift quickly to protect the quarterback.
Ironically, Matthews is no longer on the QB's blind side, because his quarterback is the left-handed Michael Penix Jr.
Either way, Matthews is a key part of Atlanta's offense, which is a group that has been firing on all cylinders the last couple of weeks.
The Falcons are better with Matthews on the field, to be sure.
Matthews has started 199 games in a row.
If he starts on Sunday night, it'll be 200.
Matthews missed one game in his rookie year in 2014 and hasn't missed one since.
That includes 16-game seasons from 2015 through 2020, then the 17-game seasons beginning with 2021.
Matthews started the first four games of the 2026 season, although injury prevented him from finishing Week 4.
The former No. 6 overall pick has made one Pro Bowl and is now 34 years old.
The presence of the streak likely doesn't enter into the minds of the actual decision makers here much, but it is interesting. Would the Falcons consider starting Matthews but not playing him a full game just to keep the streak alive?
Many players wouldn't like that idea. A streak such as this is about showing up no matter the circumstance to contribute to your team, and if Atlanta just went with a gimmick, that would feel shallow.
It's hard to say, though, because streaks like this rarely get this long, especially with the round number 200 right there to be grabbed.
The Falcons would like Matthews on the field on Sunday night for a variety of reasons. Extending the streak would certainly be a nice bonus.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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