One of the biggest contract dilemmas of training camp this year came to an end when the New England Patriots traded Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. Judon made it clear he was looking for a new deal throughout the offseason, and while pretty much every one of his teammates who wanted an extension got one, the star pass rusher was the odd man out.

Realistically speaking, it makes sense as to why the Pats moved on from Judon, as he's a 32-year old pass rusher who is coming off a year where he played in just four games before he suffered a season-ending bicep injury. And as Judon recently revealed, New England's attitude towards his contract desires made it clear in his eyes that they didn't have much of a desire to extend him.

Patriots, Matthew Judon could not find common ground in extension talks

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Matthew Judon stands on the field before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

In his first two seasons with New England, Judon turned himself into one of the most lethal pass rushers in the game, as he racked up 12.5 sacks in 2021 and 15.5 sacks in 2022. He still managed to record four sacks in just four games last year, but it's clear there was some concern surrounding his return to action, especially as he enters his age 32 season.

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Judon is still a productive player, but he simply doesn't fit New England's timeline anymore. The Patriots are clearly rebuilding, and Judon almost certainly wasn't going to be on their next championship contending team. With that in mind, handing him a new deal with more money simply didn't make much sense, which is why they sent him to the Falcons.

There's no doubt that the Pats will be worse off without Judon at their disposal in 2024, but extending him didn't really make much sense. While it's a bit eye-opening to see Judon's comments, it looks like they never were seriously interested in fulfilling his contract desires, which made a trade the best course of action for all sides.

It's a shame Judon couldn't finish his career with New England like he said he wanted to, but sometimes, the business side of the league leads to these tough decisions being made. Now, the talented sack artist will get a chance to help a playoff hopeful team in the Falcons, while the Patriots will accelerate their rebuild by clearing cap space and adding another draft pick to their stash.