Fact Check: Photos Show Clay Matthews In Makeup And Prosthetics With Prominent Muscles And Jawline — It Is A Caesars Sportsbook Ad Campaign
Do real photos show former NFL star Clay Matthews with prominent muscles and a pronounced jawline? No, that’s not true: The images are part of an ad campaign for Caesars Sportsbook, a gambling app. A video on the company’s X account shows Matthews going through the transformation, including makeup and prosthetics, to turn him into the cartoonish character seen in the ad and images shared by TMZ.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) by the All 22 account on Facebook on Sept. 4, 2026. It read:
NFL’s Clay Matthews looks almost unrecognizable in new photos posted by the official TMZ account, with the outlet claiming the former Packers star was spotted grocery shopping after “apparently getting some work done.” 👀
TMZ posted the photos on its official X account, writing: “Clay Matthews was spotted out grabbing groceries looking VERY different after apparently getting some work done.”
There has been no confirmation from Matthews that he actually underwent any cosmetic procedure, and it’s unclear whether his dramatically different appearance is permanent or could potentially be connected to a movie/TV role, makeup or something else entirely.
But the photos are definitely getting attention because the six-time Pro Bowler looks noticeably different from the long-haired, bearded linebacker NFL fans remember.
Matthews, now 40, last played in the NFL in 2019 after an 11-year career with the Packers and Rams.
Whatever the explanation is, TMZ certainly got people talking with these photos.
#NFL #Packers #GreenBay #ClayMatthews (Via TMZ)
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
Image source: post by All 22 on Facebook.
The images first appeared in a post (archived here) by TMZ (@TMZ) on X on Sept. 4, 2026, which included the hashtag #ad. It read:
Clay Matthews was spotted out grabbing groceries looking VERY different after apparently getting some work done. 👀 #ad
Four days later, on Sept. 8, 2026, the images appeared on the TMZ website in an article (archived here) sponsored by Caesars Sportsbook.
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This is what the article looked like on the TMZ website at the time of writing:
Image source: TMZ website.
The article includes a link (archived here) to a gallery of seven photos showing a “pumped-up” Matthews carrying groceries, hailing a cab, and holding a cup of coffee.
This is what the images looked like on the TMZ website at the time of writing:
Image source: TMZ website.
Also on Sept. 8, 2026, a post and video (archived here) appeared on the Caesars Sportsbook account (@CaesarsSports) on X. It read, “9.9.26 👀” and “Something big is coming…,” teasing their campaign with Matthews.
Image source: post by @CaesarsSports on X.
As promised, a day later, the ad campaign debuted on Sept. 9, 2026, in a post (archived here) on X. It read:
Caesars Sportsbook 🤝 @ClayMatthews52. We’ve both had some work done. Our app is new, improved, and barely recognizable.
This is what a screenshot of the video in the post looked like at the time of writing:
Image source: post by @CaesarsSports on X.
The Caesars Sportsbook account on X also posted a video (archived here), showing the transformation for the commercial. It is embedded below:
