The Patriots’ ongoing drama with Matthew Judon has ended, with New England sending their star pass rusher to the Falcons in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to multiple reports.
Judon and the Falcons will work on an extension before the 2024 season opens on Sept. 8, according to ESPN, with Judon — as of now — set to play on the final year of a four-year deal he signed with the Patriots and make $6.5 million in base salary.
But when the Patriots didn’t give him a longer deal, beyond a one-year extension they reportedly offered, their relationship with the 31-year-old and four-time Pro Bowl soured.
The Patriots agreed to trade Matthew Judon to the Falcons for a third-round pick after a contract standoff. APEven though he continued practicing through most of training camp, it created a messy situation surrounding one of the focal points of their defense.
“I don’t want to be the villain. I don’t want to be the bad guy,” Judon told the “Shut Up Marc Podcast” in July. “But it’s like, shoot, bro, help me out. We’ve got the most cap [space] in the league right now. They don’t even get the money. What the hell are y’all doing with it? Y’all literally just not using it.”
Everything appeared to boil over when Judon appeared to exchange words with new head coach Jerod Mayo on the practice field, left the July 29 session and didn’t participate the next day.
But he reportedly returned after that, according to ESPN.
So the first edition of the Patriots defense under Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington will have to adjust without one of its top stars — who collected 15.5 sacks in 2022 and 12.5 sacks in 2021 before missing most of the 2023 campaign with a torn biceps.
Matthew Judon #9 of the New England Patriots looks on before a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Getty ImagesJudon’s NFL career started when the Ravens selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, but he left in free agency following the 2020 campaign — which he played on the franchise tag — for New England.
The Falcons hired Jimmy Lake as defensive coordinator and former Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as head coach this offseason, inheriting a unit that finished 11th and 18th last year in yards (321.1) and points (21.9) allowed per game.
Now, their quest to improve that group will feature Judon.
