The New England Patriots spent much of the offseason handing out extensions to key members of their team, but one guy who hasn't gotten one yet is star defensive end Matthew Judon. Considering the fact he only played in four games last season before he suffered a torn lower bicep that ended his season, though, it makes sense that the team is a bit skeptical when it comes to reworking Judon's deal.

All eyes were on him as the Patriots reported for training camp, and he opted to report and not hold out. Of course, that's only one piece of the puzzle, as it remained to be seen whether or not he would take the field once practices began. Whereas he conducted a hold-in of sorts last season, it doesn't sound like that's going to be the case this time around, as Judon is reportedly planning on practicing with the team.

Patriots get huge boost with latest Matthew Judon update

New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon (9) runs onto the practice field at minicamp at Gillette Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

When he's healthy, Judon is easily the Patriots best pass rusher, but he's coming back from a serious injury ahead of his age 32 season. You can remain productive as a defensive lineman as you get older, but at some point in the near future, Judon is going to hit a wall, and handing him a big extension before seeing how he looks in his return is a bit of a risk.

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Still, it looks like the Pats front office has some interest in hammering out a new deal with Judon, as he's in the final year of his current deal. Whether they would add more years onto his deal or simply rework the financial terms of the final year of his current contract remains to be seen, but it probably wouldn't take much to remedy this situation and make Judon happy.

In 38 games with New England, Judon has racked up 32 sacks, making him one of the most productive defensive ends in the league. Assuming he can return and produce at his typical rate, it would make a lot of sense for the Patriots to do whatever they can to extend him, as their defense isn't necessarily well-stocked to replace him right now.

The good news is that Judon is practicing, which is particularly important considering how much time he missed last season. This is certainly a situation that bears watching as training camp gets underway, but as long as he's on the field practicing, fans are likely going to be more concerned with how Judon fares in his return to action.