Matthew Judon said the Patriots have ‘new life’ in the building after Bill Belichick’s exit
"Sometimes it's just time and I think it was just one of those times."
Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon still has a lot of respect for former coach Bill Belichick, but also admits that it was time for Belichick to move on after 24 seasons in New England.
Judon discussed Belichick’s departure and his recovery from a season-ending bicep injury during a recent appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”
“Belichick was a great coach. I looked up to him,” Judon said. “I think he is one of the best to ever do it, at the clip that he did it and the high level IQ that he had, it was amazing to learn from him.”
“But, I think with him leaving, it’s just new energy and new life in the building,” Judon added. “Sometimes it’s just time and I think it was just one of those times.”
Judon said new coach Jerod Mayo’s background as a former player and assistant under Belichick will help him and the team.
“I think with the hire of Mayo, bringing in somebody that was actually there for those years, understands player perspective and coaching and also how coach Belichick actually ran the system,” said Mayo. “I think bringing in somebody like that, instead of somebody that’s outside and didn’t know at all kind of helped us.
“It kind of helped us because Mayo saw it going one way and he’s trying to get it to go a different way. We’ve got new life, we’ve got new expectations and right now we’re all getting healthy and getting back right. I think when we start we’re all going to try to run through a wall for Mayo because he had our back in everything that we go through. We always would kind of go talk to him and he would understand.”
Although he felt Belichick’s time in New England had run its couse, Judon said he would vouch for Belichick to get a job elsewhere.
“I would say ‘hire that guy’,” Judon said. “He’s going to be great for the organization, great for the team. I would also have to tell them about the downfalls, like there might not be too many smiles you get out the dude. It might not be too many laughs and jokes you might get out of him … but it’s hard to get better than that as a head coach.”
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