Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews is trending for reasons that have nothing to do with football. TMZ published images on Friday that appeared to show Matthews grocery shopping with an unnaturally chiseled jawline, bulging arms, and oddly disfigured fingers. The celebrity site labeled the post as an advertisement on X and a paid partnership on Instagram, but the photos were clearly generated by artificial intelligence.
The internet quickly called out the obvious fake, with one social media user noting the enlarged chin and botched cheeks made Matthews look like a Disney cartoon character. Hours later, Matthews himself joined the joke. In response to a post from the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast, he wrote “Gigaclay” alongside a muscle emoji.
Matthews, 40, is about to step into a new spotlight. He will make his debut as an NFL studio analyst for Netflix, joining host Elle Duncan and fellow analysts Michael Irvin and Nick Foles. Their first assignment takes them to Melbourne, Australia, for the game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, Sept. 10.
It is a far cry from his playing days, when Matthews spent 10 seasons in Green Bay, recorded 83.5 sacks, and became the Packers’ all-time leader in that category. He also earned six Pro Bowl selections and a spot in the Packers Hall of Fame in 2024 before retiring after the 2019 season.
