The Atlanta Falcons' decision to trade for the New England Patriots' Matthew Judon was met with confusion and skepticism, but if Mike Florio's latest speculation proves correct, then the trade could turn out to be the worst in quite some time.
Judon, who is entering the final season of a four-year contract, had been locked into seemingly never-improving contract negotiations with the Patriots. And while it's quite common for teams to trade for players seeking extensions, as we've seen with Haason Reddick with the New York Jets this offseason, the team acquiring the player should probably agree to an extension to avoid any issues. That potential scenario is one that Florio is positing here for Judon after he arrives in Atlanta.
“Amazingly, the Falcons sent a third-round pick to the Patriots for edge rusher Matthew Judon without working out a new contract,” Florio wrote. “So, what happens next? The trade, we’re told, still hinges on Judon passing a physical. He could refuse to show up for it without a new deal. That would cause his rights to revert to the Patriots. He also could try to hold in with Atlanta until there’s a deal. He attempted that in New England, and it quickly became obvious that the Patriots weren’t willing to let that happen.”
Matthew Judon contract status after Falcons-Patriots trade
‘Hold-ins' have become somewhat commonplace in the NFL as of late, with Brandon Aiyuk's summer-long saga with the San Francisco 49ers being the most notorious case of the year. But Matthew Judon could make life just as difficult for the Atlanta Falcons if he so chooses.
Judon, who turned 32 today, is set to earn $7.5 million this year (his cap hit is slightly smaller at $6.7 million) and he will become a free agent next offseason. He had been negotiating a new deal with the Patriots, with whom he signed in 2021, for several months but evidently could not come close enough to continue the partnership.
Now, Judon could be the Falcons' problem. Even if he does decide to report to Atlanta and play out the season without an extension in place, Judon's effectiveness will be of chief concern. Last season, he played just four games before suffering a season-ending biceps injury. In his three seasons with New England, Judon totaled 32 sacks in 38 games, including a 2022 season in which he recorded a career-high 15.5 sacks and was named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl.
The Falcons open up the regular season on Sept. 8 at home vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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