Clay Matthews’ face went viral after crazy TMZ photos. Here’s what’s going on

Clay Matthews was in on the joke the whole time.

Matthews partnered with Caesars Sportsbook for a “we’ve had some work done” campaign to coincide with kickoff of the 2026 NFL season. Doctored images of Matthews – aka “Gigaclay” – that were amplified by TMZ went viral before and during the Labor Day weekend.

Matthews did not actually have any cosmetic surgery but was ready for the pictures to stir up some drama and went headfirst into the “looksmaxxing phase,” featured by bigger jawline and defined cheekbones.

“I’m leaning into it right now,” Matthews told USA TODAY Sports before the campaign officially took off Sept. 9. “I think once everybody sees this, they’re going to feel one way or another. The reaction I have gotten from everyone has been ‘absolute comedy gold.’ And that’s what we’re trying to do, is have fun, obviously let everyone know what Caesars Sportsbook app is all about and the transformation they’ve made. It’s just something that’s a lot of fun … really happy with the final product.”

Gigaclay 💪📈 https://t.co/ZGVW5FfmVG

— Clay Matthews III (@ClayMatthews52) September 4, 2026

The premise for the advertisement is that the Caesars app has revamped itself, a “glow-up,” Matthews said.

“It’s just an ultimate transformation, much like myself,” Matthews said. “It was something that was new. It was something that was intriguing.

“I think everyone is really going to enjoy this spot.”

Matthews now has a newfound respect for Hollywood actors who spend hours in the chairs of makeup artists for prosthetics fitting. For the video component of the Caesars ad campaign, he worked with the same artists who have collaborated with the comedian Druski for his skits.

“That’s what we were able to pull off, with these prosthetics, was just comedic timing, relief, and overall, it was a lot of fun. It was a good time,” Matthews said. “I will say, at the end of the production day, I was ready to rip everything off.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Clay Matthews’ face went viral after crazy TMZ photos. Here’s what’s going on