LOS ANGELES _ Los Angeles Rams linebacker Clay Matthews will undergo surgery for a broken jaw suffered during Thursday night's 30-29 defeat by the Seattle Seahawks and will be sidelined at least a month, coach Sean McVay said Friday.
McVay said Matthews was injured near the end of the game when he was accidentally kicked in the jaw while attempting to tackle Seahawks running back Chris Carson.
"That's not good for us," McVay said. "That's a big injury."
Matthews signed with the Rams in March after playing 10 seasons for the Green Bay Packers. Against the Seahawks, he had one sack and five tackles. He also drew a roughing-the-passer penalty in the fourth quarter that kept alive a Seahawks drive.
Matthews, who had a career-low 3 { sacks last season, has six sacks this season and 89 { in his career.
"It's something you just hate for him because of how productive he's been for us and what he's meant to our team and all the things that he's done," McVay said. "It's going to be a big loss. Guys are going to be asked to step up in his absence."
Samson Ebukam, a third-year pro, will start in Matthews place, McVay said.
"He's done some good things," McVay said. "Samson's been a productive player for us over the last handful of years, and I think he's done a nice job really supplementing Dante (Fowler) and Clay on the edge. But now, obviously, he'll be asked to step up in a bigger role and play more snaps.
"We've seen him do that last year when he ended up making a big impact. We certainly will miss Clay but it will be something that Samson will have to step up, and we have confidence he can do that."
Matthews is the second starting linebacker to suffer an injury that will force him to sit out.
Bryce Hager was sidelined against the Seahawks because of a shoulder injury suffered last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rookie Troy Reeder started in place of Hager and made a team-best 13 tackles.
