Jordan Matthews Rejoins 49ers- Moves To Tight End
SAN FRANCISO, CAL.- The travels of former Madison Academy two-sport star athlete Jordan Matthews has continued into the 2021 NFL pre-season. He’s back in San Francisco for his third try for a permanent position with the NFC West Division 49ers. Only this time, he’s switching positions from wide receiver to tight end.
The decision for the position change came in the off-season as he played in one game in 2019 and two games in 2020 for San Francisco. He noticed the 49ers could use another pass-catching tight end to support expected starter George Kittle. Matthews increased his weight more than 20 pounds to the listed 236 pounds to go along with his 6-foot-3 height and attended “Tight End University,” an informal tight end workout hosted by Kittle.
The 49ers signed the 29-year old to a temporary contract expecting Matthews to learn the position and become backup to Kittle since the overall tight end group is very thin. Two currently on the roster are not known as great pass catchers, a third is recovering from an injury and a recent undrafted rookie remains a question mark among the coaches.
Matthews can catch. In high school, at Madison Academy, he had 38 touchdown receptions before playing at Vanderbilt where he broke SEC career records with 262 receptions for 3,759 yards. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles where he played three seasons before he was traded to Buffalo in 2017. Over the past four seasons he’s played for the Bills, the Eagles a second time and the 49ers. Overall in the NFL, he’s had 275 receptions for 3,325 yards and 23 touchdowns.
He and his wife, Cheyna, who he married in 2018, have one son, Josiah.
Not only is Matthews regarded as an outstanding football player but as a great humanitarian, as well. In 2016 he established Matthews Mission here in the immediate Huntsville area and the mission of the foundation is to FEED- feed the hungry, educate the children, empower the family and donate to those in need.
Among his former teams, Matthews was known as a fine pass catcher and equivalent blocker. Both skills will be needed for him to secure a spot on the 49ers’ 2021 roster.
