Montreal Alouettes DB Jerald Brown chases down Winnipeg Blue Bombers WR Chris Matthews after a catch during third quarter CFL action in Winnipeg on Thurs., June 27, 2013. (CFL PHOTO - Jason Halstead)
CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders have signed international receiver Chris Matthews, the team announced Tuesday.
Matthews was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 2012 as he led the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with 81 catches, 1,192 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. After playing four games for Winnipeg during an injury-abbreviated 2013 campaign, Matthews went to the National Football League and played a total of 25 regular-season and playoff games for the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens from 2014 to 2017.
The news comes after the team recently lost another receiver in Reggie Begelton to what appears to be a season-ending injury. The long list of injured Stampeder receivers also includes Kamar Jorden, DaVaris Daniels and Eric Rogers, though the latter is expected back soon.
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Matthews played a key role for the Seahawks in the NFL playoffs following the 2014 season, as his onside kick recovery allowed Seattle to complete a comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game.
Two weeks later, he also had four catches for 109 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIX.
“Chris is a talented, big-bodied receiver with experience both in the CFL and the NFL,” said Stampeders president and general manager John Hufnagel. “With our current situation at the receiver position, we were pleased to be able to sign someone with Chris’s experience.”
Before turning pro, Matthews played two seasons at the University of Kentucky, making a total of 93 catches for 1,279 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a senior in 2010, he had 61 receptions for 925 yards and a team-leading nine scores. Prior to transferring to Kentucky, Matthews attended Los Angeles Harbor College for two seasons. In his sophomore season in junior college, he had 80 catches for 1,235 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games.
He signed with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and played for the Arena Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers in 2012.
