Blue Bombers cut former CFL, NFL star receiver Chris Matthews
Matthews, 29, was considered for MVP honours in Super Bowl XLIX
The high hopes the Winnipeg Blue Bombers held for the return of star receiver Chris Matthews have come crashing down.
With a single-line news release on Wednesday morning, the football club said it has parted ways with the former CFL rookie of the year.
"Winnipeg Blue Bombers today announce the club has released receiver Chris Matthews," it said.
No explanation. No further information.
The 29-year-old Californian entered the CFL in 2012 with the Bombers, making a quick impact with his 6-foot-5 frame and nimble hands. By the end of the season, he was named the CFL's rookie of the year and will be forever known as the person who scored the first touchdown at Investors Group Field.
An injury-abbreviated season in 2013 kept him to just five games and he was released by the Bombers.
While working as a security guard in the off-season, he was invited to a try out by the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. Matthews made the team and played a key role in the conference championship, recovering an onside kick that allowed the Seahawks to score and eventually win the game in overtime.
He followed that up in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots by catching four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in his team's loss. He was considered for the game's MVP honour but lost to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
He went on to spend three seasons with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, playing sporadically, before returning to the CFL late in 2018 to play four games with the Calgary Stampeders and help them win the Grey Cup.
When he returned in 2019 to where it all began — with the Bombers — Matthews proclaimed his desire to ultimately retire as a member of the team and to leave a mark on par with former receiving stars Milt Stegall and Terrence Edwards.
Instead, injuries have kept him to playing just six of the Bombers' 10 games so far this season, and tallying just 12 catches and one touchdown.
Matthews made more headlines off the field when he was involved in an incident at a downtown restaurant in the early morning hours on July 21.
Media reports labelled it as a stabbing but police would only say they were called for a disturbance. Police would not say whether anyone was stabbed and no one was ever charged.
Matthews was back on the Bombers' practice field the following day.