Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews III, affectionately known as CM3, turned 31 years old yesterday. We've long known that age 30 represents a typical turning point in the careers of many a NFL player. It's when players start to see their productivity decline and their reliability wane.
Some positions see a more dramatic drop in productivity around this time, such as running backs as compared to offensive linemen, as one example.
Matthews has been an interesting case for most of his career. Drafted with a second first-round pick in 2009, he burst onto the scene mid way through that season and ended the year with 10 sacks.