Clay Matthews spent 11 NFL seasons terrorizing quarterbacks. Now, a bizarre set of photos has fans wondering who sacked his old face.
The jaw-dropping transformation was so extreme that some viewers struggled to recognize the six-time Pro Bowl pick. Within minutes, social media had turned his new appearance into a full-blown medical mystery.
The former Green Bay Packers linebacker went viral after TMZ posted images that appeared to show him leaving a grocery store.
Matthews still had his signature blond hair.
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Everything else looked dramatically different. His face appeared slimmer. His jaw looked wider and unusually square. Even his muscular frame seemed to have received an action-figure upgrade.
“Clay Matthews was spotted out grabbing groceries looking VERY different after apparently getting some work done,” TMZ captioned the photos.
Clay Matthews was spotted out grabbing groceries looking VERY different after apparently getting some work done. 👀 #ad pic.twitter.com/8ihX46BSAl
— TMZ (@TMZ) September 4, 2026
The images immediately triggered plastic surgery speculation. Social media users studied Matthews’ face like they were preparing to testify before a medical board.
View on Threads
On Threads, a user asked, “WTH! Clay Matthews! What’s going on here? Dude looking like he’s in a bidding war to become the human Handsome Squidward OR Joe Swanson. Are you auditioning to become Thanos in The Avengers: End Game: The Sequel or something?!? ‘Cause you looking like you got all the Inifnity Gems right about now. Or did you also get a call from Lane Kiffin to play for LSU. We need ANSWERS.”
“Called my guy handsome Squidwort,” one Threads user joked.
Another observer arrived with a diagnosis. “I believe that’s buccal fat removal and other cosmetic surgery—it’s terrible,” the person wrote.
Matthews’ days at the University of Southern California were also dragged into the discussion.
“None of those juiced up USC linebackers were normal, but this cannot be real,” another critic declared.
One X user shared pictures of cartoon characters with enormous chins.
“Legend has it he walked into the surgeons office with these reference photos,” the person cracked.
Legend has it he walked into the surgeons office with these reference photos pic.twitter.com/XkYGbMHSEd
— subaru (@poopsockpoop) September 4, 2026
However, the final words in that USC comment proved more accurate than the writer may have realized. The photos apparently were not real.
There has been no credible confirmation that Matthews underwent plastic surgery. The retired linebacker has not publicly announced a cosmetic transformation either. Fans may have spent hours diagnosing procedures that were performed by a computer.
Once viewers noticed the advertising label, the conversation quickly shifted. Matthews’ face was no longer the primary target. TMZ’s credibility was now taking the hits.
The giveaway was sitting in plain sight at the end of TMZ’s caption. The outlet had labeled the post “#ad.” X later attached a community note to the images. The note declared that they were generated using artificial intelligence.
“The post uses AI-generated images falsely depicting Clay Matthews after cosmetic work. No credible sources report any such change,” the note read.
“The ad hashtag gives away the game. They got him looking like some Family Guy character,” one Threads user observed.
Another critic suggested that the outlet had been defeated by the same technology it published.
“TMZ got cooked by AI pics of GigaChad Clay Peak 2026 journalism,” the person mocked.
The disbelief continued as people questioned how the photos made it onto the outlet’s account. Another X user claimed, “TMZ really got tricked by someone selling them AI pictures.”
One final critic went straight for the outlet’s reputation: “Is TMZ this pathetic. People wonder why credibility w/ some outlets have hit rock bottom.”
Matthews, 40, last played in the NFL in 2019. He spent 10 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He finished his career with one season on the Los Angeles Rams. The six-time Pro Bowl selection recorded 91.5 sacks before walking away from the field.
He has not completely disappeared from the spotlight. Matthews joined FanDuel’s “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast in 2025. The show was launched by former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan. Matthews has also appeared in commercials, television shows and movies.
Now, he is preparing for an even bigger close-up.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Matthews will make his debut as an NFL studio analyst during the Rams-49ers game in Melbourne on Sept. 10. The matchup will be the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia.
Elle Duncan will host Netflix’s studio coverage. Matthews will join Michael Irvin and Nick Foles for the pregame, halftime and postgame shows. Noah Eagle will handle play-by-play duties. Hall of Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly will serve as the booth analyst.
Fans will finally get a live look at Matthews. They will get to see if he looks like they remember. That is, unless Netflix rolls out the GigaChad filter first.