FOXBORO, Mass. — After causing a distracting, headline-generating scene on Monday, Matthew Judon was nowhere to be found on Day 6 of New England Patriots training camp.
The star edge rusher has gone public with his desire for a new contract. And after Tuesday’s no-show, it’s fair to wonder whether Judon has played his final game for the Patriots, who can’t afford any distractions as they enter their post-Bill Belichick era.
Matthew Judon Didn’t Show Up for Patriots’ Sixth Training Camp Practice
Monday saw an escalation in Judon’s contract dispute with the Patriots.
He sat alone and in street clothes for the start of New England’s first padded practice. After a brief conversation with head coach Jerod Mayo, who didn’t look happy, Judon left the field and went to the locker room.
Judon returned 20 minutes later and, after engaging in an animated discussion with front office staffers Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh, departed once again and never returned.
Jerod Mayo appears to exchange some words with Matthew Judon who is not participating in practice today. Judon seen exiting the field after their conversation 👀 pic.twitter.com/BJvP64tnpS
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) July 29, 2024
His actions dominated the Boston airwaves for the rest of the day, with many pundits rightfully criticizing Judon for showing up his head coach. It was a bad look for all involved and opened the door for further questions about Mayo’s leadership.
The situation clearly wasn’t resolved overnight, as Judon never showed his face during Tuesday’s practice. Whether he’s holding in or holding out is beside the point; he’s refusing to practice due to his contract, which is something he recently promised not to do.
So, where do the Patriots go from here?
PFN Analysis: One Way or Another, Patriots Have a Tough Decision to Make
There’s no easy way out for Mayo and Co.
Option 1: Pay Judon and establish a precedent that complaining about contracts and acting out at practice will get you paid.
Option 2: Trade Judon and further weaken a pass rush that might be without Christian Barmore for the entire season.
Option 3: Don’t pay Judon, keep him around, and allow a distraction to linger over a young, rebuilding team.
Perhaps Judon has a change of heart in the coming days. Maybe there’s an off-ramp that would satisfy everyone, and we just haven’t thought of it.
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However, at this point, there aren’t any good solutions for the Patriots, who obviously would be better with Judon on the roster.
One way or another, the Patriots need to make a decision soon. They have enough to worry about on offense without having their best defensive player create a sideshow for everyone to see.