Clay Matthews takes quick shot at Seahawks coach Pete Carroll

The Seattle Seahawks shored up their linebacker position early in free agency, bringing back Mychal Kendricks and K.J. Wright to compete alongside Bobby Wagner – forming one of the better linebacker corps in the NFL.

Free agent Clay Matthews had been considered a candidate to join the Seahawks, considering his previous relationship with coach Pete Carroll, who coached Matthews back at USC.

The longtime Packers linebacker instead pivoted to join Seattle’s NFC rival the Los Angeles Rams. In his first press conference, Matthews avoided a question about coach Carroll by making a joke implying that saying Carroll’s name in Los Angeles is taboo, like Voldemort.

Clay Matthews, asked if Pete Carroll has wished him luck with the @RamsNFL ?

"Is that taboo around here? We don't speak his name, like Voldemort?"

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) March 21, 2019

Matthews played at USC from 2005-2008, during one of the best stretches in school history. He ended up getting drafted in the first round by the Packers, where he spent the last 10 seasons – making six Pro Bowls and getting named an All-Pro in 2010.

Matthews will fill a need for the Rams, who lost linebacker Mark Barron to the Steelers in free agency.