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Multiple teams have reportedly shown interest in trading for Patriots’ Matthew Judon
Matthew Judon is set to earn a base salary of $6.5 million this season.
With Matthew Judon’s ongoing contract with the Patriots still without resolution, could the veteran pass rusher end up playing for another team during the 2024 NFL season?
Based on a new report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, it appears as though Judon’s murky future in Foxborough has multiple interested teams testing the waters on his availability.
According to Fowler, “multiple teams have inquired about trading for pass rusher Matthew Judon amid his contract stalemate. The 31-year-old linebacker is the final year of his contract with New England and is due a base salary of $6.5 million this year.
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Judon has been vocal about wanting a new contract in New England throughout training camp, even leaving practice twice after having extended conversations with Jerod Mayo and Patriots Director of Player Personnel Matt Groh on July 29.
“I hope I can play here this year,” Judon said of his future in New England on July 24. “I hope I can continue to contribute to this defense and be a catalyst to one of the best defenses in the league since I’ve been here and for a very long time. But if that’s not the case, that’s not the case.”
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ESPN’s Mike Reiss added in his Sunday notes story on August 4 that the contract situation between New England and Judon has “simmered” in recent days, with Judon largely operating under the radar over New England’s last few practices.
“We’re moving past the Judon thing,” Jerod Mayo said last weekend. “We’re both in a good place. I think the team is in a good place and we’re pushing forward.”
Of course, even if Judon hasn’t been as vocal as of late regarding his contract, a “simmered” situation does not mean that it’s been resolved.
Even with Judon’s clear discontent with his contract, Patriots outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins noted on Monday that Judon has never let issues with pay or contracts hinder his approach on the gridiron.
“All three of those years he attacks it with such professionalism,” Wilkins, who coached Judon through three contract years between Baltimore and New England, said. “Really when you look back to 2019, he went out and had a Pro Bowl year, 2020 had a Pro Bowl year. That’s the expectation: We go and compartmentalize the business stuff and have a Pro Bowl year. That’s what he does and what we’ve been able to do together.”
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Judon would be a coveted player for several NFL teams looking to add a dynamic pass-rusher to their defense. The 6-foot-3 linebacker has been a force since signing with New England in 2021, racking up 32 sacks and 33 tackles for a loss over 38 games in Foxborough.
Judon’s age (turns 32 on Thursday) and the fact that he’s coming off of a season-ending bicep injury in 2023 might make New England hesitant to give him a hefty new deal this year.
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