On Friday, the entertainment and paparazzi news website TMZ published alleged photos of former Los Angeles Rams linebacker – and the internet erupted.
The 40-year-old former footballer’s face appeared to have significantly changed. So much so that he is almost unrecognizable from before. The report purportedly photographed the former linebacker while he was getting groceries, potentially in Los Angeles. Notably, the photos were only shared on TMZ’s social media handles. A proper news story has not been done yet.
Many wondered if the former linebacker got a plastic surgery. Such was the difference between how Clay Matthews used to look that even X, formerly Twitter, added a community note under TMZ’s social media post claiming that the photos are AI-made.
But what many missed was a hashtag reading “#ad” alongside the caption. It is likely that the photos are indeed AI-generated as Clay Matthews appeared recently on a podcast where he looked normal, very much like he used to look before. It is unlikely that such a transformation took place within a few hours.
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“The post uses AI-generated images falsely depicting Clay Matthews after cosmetic work. No credible sources report any such change,” the community note on X claims.
It is, however, unclear what exactly the ad was for. Nothing has been shared so far on the social media handles of Clay Matthews.
‘Did He Get A Plastic Surgery?’: Social Media Erupts
Needless to say, social media erupted with claims of plastic surgery after Clay Matthews’ photos were published by TMZ.
“Clay Matthews got reconstructive surgery to look like the gigachad meme 😭,” wrote one.
“You won’t believe how much he spent just to look this,” added another.
“I have never seen anyone look good due to plastic surgery,” added one.
“Why would he do this to himself ,” wrote one.
“This can’t be real,” wrote one, convinced that the photos are not real.
Clay Matthews Last Appearance
Clay Matthews has very much been in the public eye recently – which made the photos even more surprising for those who follow him.
A clip from the podcast was posted August 29 on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast hosted by Will Crompton and Taylor Lewan. In the clip, Matthews discussed his departure from the Green Bay Packers after the 2018 season life after that. The show’s social media also recently circulated a Clay Matthews story involving former teammate Davante Adams.
Notably, Matthews has joined Netflix’s NFL studio coverage for the 2026 season. Netflix announced on August 17 that he would be part of its Week 1 broadcast team alongside Michael Irvin and Nick Foles for the 49ers-Rams game in Melbourne.
It is likely the TMZ advert is a teaser for that appearance. But no confirmation so far.
