As New England Patriots training camp approaches, we still have no idea whether Matthew Judon will be on the field, at home, or playing for another team.
The star edge rusher reportedly wants a new contract, and recent rumors cast doubt on his future with the Patriots. Judon denied the reports, but no matter how you slice it, Jerod Mayo and Company appear to have a problem on their hands.
Matthew Judon Denies Report About Patriots Contract
Judon, who’s entering the final year of his contract, has said all the right things this offseason. During the spring, he promised not to let his contract status impact his practice participation as it did last summer. But the tea leaves tell a different story.
In June, Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard reported Judon was, in fact, upset with his contract. Soon afterward, Judon told a fan on the X platform that he didn’t think a contract restructuring was “about to happen.”
That brings us to last Saturday when Bedard offered this on his Patriots podcast:
“What I know is he may be playing nice publicly … from the people that I’ve talked to, he is not going to play under his current contract — at least for the Patriots. I can’t talk about any place else; that is my understanding. I don’t know exactly what’s been communicated to the team, but that’s my understanding.
“You can also put Davon Godchaux in that bucket.”
"He is not going to play under his current contract." @GregABedard provides an update on Matthew Judon's negotiations with the Patriots.
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Hours later, Judon seemingly responded to Bedard’s report with a post on X.
“Before yall get on my ass I didn’t say that,” he wrote. “At all don’t let them make me the villain.”
So, where do things stand between Judon and the Patriots? The latest intel came from FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna.
“Matthew Judon has asked for a new contract and the Patriots have made an offer, according to a source close to the situation,” McKenna wrote last week. “But they are not currently close to agreeing to a new deal.”
The Patriots will hold their first training camp practice on Wednesday, July 24. Whether this situation gets resolved before then remains to be seen.
What Are Judon’s Contract Details?
In 2024, Judon will make a base salary of $6.5 million with per-game roster bonuses of $1 million, per Over the Cap.
However, none of the money is guaranteed, and Judon’s contract is scheduled to void in 2025, putting him in line to hit free agency next March.
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Additionally, Judon will count $14.675 million against the salary cap next season. A trade before the start of the campaign would result in a $7.9 million dead cap hit but net cap savings of $6.7 million.
So, be it a restructuring or a trade, there’s a financial incentive for the Patriots to do something to Judon’s contract.
Could the Patriots Trade Judon?
In our recently published “bold predictions” piece, we predicted New England will trade Judon at some point in 2024. Again, that’s just a prediction, but moving Judon could make sense.
The Patriots’ defense played well in 2023 after Judon suffered a season-ending biceps tear, and the group has young, intriguing depth at edge rusher. Does New England really need to pay an aging pass rusher (he’ll turn 32 in August) who’s coming off a major injury?
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There are arguments for and against it. Judon, who posted 32 sacks in his last 38 games, is one of the NFL’s best sack artists and a leader in the locker room. But the Patriots shouldn’t be in the business of paying for past performance, especially at positions of depth.
Bedard also speculated about a Judon trade during his podcast.
“What do you want to do with Matthew Judon?” Bedard asked. “Do you want to extend him? Do you want to give him a short-term raise? Would you rather trade him to a contender or somebody who wants to pay him? All those options, I would think, are currently on the table.”
Despite Judon’s age, he still would be a valuable trade asset. In theory, the Patriots could include him in a package for either a receiver or an offensive tackle, two positions currently of greater need than an edge rusher.
The Patriots still have time to figure this out before it becomes a full-blown headache. But the clock is ticking, and this team can’t afford any major distractions as it enters a new era.