The months-long Matthew Judon drama came to a conclusion on Wednesday, with the New England Patriots trading the defensive end/linebacker to the Atlanta Falcons.
NFL on CBS insider Jonathan Jones revealed a surprising detail on Thursday morning regarding Judon’s situation in Atlanta.
Judon — who turned 32 on Thursday — said in June that he “wasn’t mad” at the Patriots and that the two sides weren’t “far apart” in their contract negotiations. A lot happened over the last two months, culminating in New England shipping off its best defensive player.
Judon signed with the Patriots in March 2021 after playing the first five seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, including his 2019 and 2020 Pro Bowl campaigns. Judon continued to build his case as one of the best pass rushers in the NFL with the Patriots, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2021 and 2022 before suffering a season-ending bicep injury after just four games in 2023.
The Grand Valley State product signed a four-year, $54.5M deal with New England in March 2021 and they agreed to a contract adjustment last August, with Judon signing a $3M extension for 2023 that increased the guaranteed portion of salary from $2M to $14M.
While plenty of Patriots fans will be upset about the team losing one of their leaders, it seemed that the longer Judon went without a new deal, the more likely it was that he didn’t have a future with the organization. If Judon can stay healthy, he probably has at least a few more solid years left in the league, but perhaps New England is ending the relationship at the right time, as 32 isn’t exactly when an NFL player usually enters their prime.
The Falcons, meanwhile, have landed another big name this offseason in an effort not only to capture a very winnable NFC South for the first time since the 2016 season, but also make a playoff run. Atlanta’s marquee addition on offense this offseason was four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins.
If Judon has another big season and leads the Falcons back to the playoffs, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him land an extension with the club next offseason.