It appears Matthew Judon and the New England Patriots still have some work to do in order to get his contract situation resolved.
Judon and the Patriots have had negotiations about a new deal, Fox Sports' Henry McKenna reported. Judon asked New England for a new deal and has received an offer, but the two sides are still “not close” on a new contract, McKenna added in his report.
The star edge rusher is entering the final year of his contract. While he signed a four-year, $54.5 million deal to join the Patriots in 2021, he's set to make just $6.5 million in 2024 due to the contract adjustment he received last year. Judon was a non-participant at training camp last year until he received a pay bump that saw his guaranteed money go from $2 million to $14 million for 2023, with the team using money from 2024 to make it work.
Now, the Patriots are in a similar predicament this year, but there are a couple of factors that it make a bit different. Even though Judon has been one of the league's top sack-getters since he joined New England, it isn't a slam-dunk decision to extend and pay him a top-of-the-line salary for an edge rusher. He only played four games last season after he tore his lower bicep and turns 32 later in August.
Judon has recorded 32 sacks in 38 games with the Patriots, so it would be ideal to at least have him on the roster in 2024 and for the foreseeable future. But his production suggests that he deserves a salary that will pay him at least $20 million per year for multiple years as the 12-highest-paid edge rushers in the league are receiving at least that much. However, all 12 are younger than Judon, further complicating things.
What Matthew Judon has said about his future with the Patriots
Judon threw a bit of a curveball on social media last week. He posted a GIF of SpongeBob that read “Ight Imma Head Out” on X/ Twitter. On the surface, the post certainly seems ominous and suggests that contract negotiations with the team aren't in a good spot. Furthermore, it also implies that he wants out of New England.
If that is the case, that would be a change in tune that he had just a few weeks ago. He's indicated throughout the offseason that he wants to remain in New England and plans to play regardless of his contract situation.
“I’m just gonna get ready to play,” Judon told WZLX's The Rich Shertelnieb Show in June. “And you know, you kind of don’t – you kind of keep throwing tantrums, tantrums, tantrums, and then you don’t come out there and do what you’re supposed to do? It kind of gets old real fast, you know. I ain’t really trying to do that. I’m just trying to come out here and play football, get ready for this upcoming season, and put our defense and ourself in a position to where we can win the most games or be the most effective.”
“So that’s what I’m really on right now. I ain’t worried about holding out, sitting out … kind of protesting. … Because that, last year, that stuff was trash. I ain’t really like that. Like I’m a football player, I don’t want to get into the agency side. So I’m gonna come out here and play some football.”
Obviously, if the Patriots want any chance to win in 2024, having Judon is pivotal. Not only has he been the team's best pass rusher over the last three years, they only had one player who recorded five sacks last year.
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