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Clay Matthews began his professional NFL career in 2009 when he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.
Published April 25 2025, 10:49 a.m. ET
The NFL Draft is known for having outrageous and crowd-pleasing moments to get fans engaged in one of the sports world’s most popular traditions, but former NFL player Clay Matthews recently went completely off script and produced a shocking moment during the 2025 Draft that no one expected.
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Clay began his professional NFL career in 2009 when he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, where he remained until 2018 to play with his final team in the league, the Los Angeles Rams.
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Is Clay Matthews a Trump supporter?
That’s a question that many football fans are asking themselves following Clay’s rogue comments at the 2025 NFL Draft where he delivered a strange message he said was from Trump.
Per the New York Times, while appearing alongside NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at the start of the first round, Clay interjected and proceeded to apologize for going “off script” before sharing the supposed message from Trump.
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“I just got off the phone with the president, Donald Trump,” Clay said. “He asked me to pass a message along to all 32 NFL franchises. Let me tell you what it reads here, all right? It says, ‘My fellow Americans, the Bears still suck!'”
Matthews then revealed the paper he was reading from to show the message typed in bold print. It should be noted that Clay’s former team, the Packers and the Chicago Bears have a long-standing rivalry. Not much is known about Clay’s political leanings, as he rarely discusses the world of politics.
Has Trump or The White House responded to Clay’s comments?
As of now, there has been no word or acknowledgement from the Trump administration about what the former linebacker said. However, that may be due to the comments not hitting their radar just yet.
Trump is notorious for responding practically anytime he is mentioned in a seemingly positive way, specifically on his Truth Social platform, so there will likely be some form of acknowledgement of what Clay said at some point.
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How else did Clay celebrate the NFL Draft?
To commemorate the 2025 Draft, Clay partnered with Salute to Service for a USAA Draft event, which is an initiative to honor, empower, and connect with our nation's service members, veterans, and their families.
“The NFL leverages its platform and resources to create a positive impact for our nation's heroes,” the organization’s website reads. “In collaboration with our partners, the league aims to enhance the independence of wounded warriors, improve veteran physical and mental health, and promote prosperity within the military community.”
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“The NFL unites service members and their families through a shared love of football, fostering connections within the military community and beyond,” the message continues.
In an interview with Reign of Troy, Clay explained the partnership. "Our climate is so political, left and right,” he began his statement. “But I think at the end of the day, whether you agree or disagree with whomever and whatever they have to say, I think it's supporting our military members who are at a moment's notice, you know, expected to serve our country and put their lives on the line," Clay said.
