<
>

Source: Atlanta Falcons, left tackle Jake Matthews agree to three-year extension

The Atlanta Falcons are securing their starting left tackle, Jake Matthews, for the foreseeable future, having agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Monday.

The extension will pay Matthews more than $18 million per season, the source told Fowler.

The news was first reported by NFL Network.

The 30-year-old Matthews, the team's first-round pick in 2014, has been a mainstay at left tackle since he was drafted. He has played -- and started -- in all but one game since being picked No. 6 overall, playing 98% or more of Atlanta's offensive snaps in each of the past five seasons.

"Jake quietly goes about his business and he's about as underrated or unsung of a guy as there is," quarterback Matt Ryan said last season. "He's durable. I mean, he's out there every week and he's just technically sound, really good technique when it comes to pass protection, really good technique in the run game.

"Plays hard for us. He's a great leader by example. He's got a really good template of how he prepares himself, week in and week out, that the young guys can look at and say that's how you do it, and I think has been really good for us."

Matthews, a Pro Bowl selection in 2018, had two years left on his existing contract, including a $23,689,200 scheduled cap hit for the 2022 season -- a number that will likely go down with his extension.

Matthews was scheduled to earn $12.5 million in base salary in 2022 and $14 million in base salary in 2023 before the extension.