New England Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon is preparing to enter the final year of his contract, so there was some chatter that the star defender could potentially hold out of mandatory minicamp this month.
Well, Judon has put the kibosh on those rumors pretty quickly, as he showed up to the start of Patriots minicamp on Monday.
Judon is slated to earn $6.5 million in base salary in 2024, but due to his signing bonus and other factors, he carries a $14.7 million cap hit.
Based on Judon's contract situation and the fact that he is an aging player on a rebuilding team, there has also been some speculation that New England could aim to trade the pass rusher before the start of the season.
Right now, however, it seems that both sides are content with the marriage.
Perhaps there will be more developments between now and training camp next month, but at the current point in time, Judon appears to be ready to tackle the 2024 campaign in Foxborough.
Would it make sense for the Patriots to trade Matthew Judon?
Judon turns 32 years old in August and is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he played just four games due to a torn biceps. He doesn't really fit the Patriots' timeline anymore, so in a vacuum, trading him would make sense.
The four-time Pro Bowler would probably be able to fetch New England a decent draft asset in a trade, as edge rushers of his caliber are very valuable in today's game.
However, the Pats may ultimately decide that keeping Judon around for veteran leadership and to serve as the backbone for what is actually a very good defense is actually the best move for the club next season.
Judon seems to be happy in New England and hasn't asked for a trade. At least that's how it appears publicly. Plus, Judon is still very productive. He logged 13 tackles and four sacks in his short time on the field in 2023, and two years ago, he racked up a career-high 15.5 sacks.
Of course, the fact that Judon is still such a force in his early 30s may actually serve as a more of an incentive for the Patriots to move him now while he still holds considerable value.
The Grand Valley State product was originally selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft and spent the first five years of his career with the Ravens, making a couple of Pro Bowls in his final two seasons with the club. His best campaign in Baltimore came in 2019, when he rattled off 54 tackles, 9.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.
But, Judon didn't truly break out until he arrived in New England in 2021. He posted 60 tackles and 12.5 sacks in his first season before having the best year of his NFL tenure in 2022.
We'll see if the Pats are able to strike a new deal with Judon in the coming weeks or if they decide he may end up serving as an interesting trade piece at the deadline come October.
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