This offseason, the New England Patriots and pass rusher Matthew Judon were at a crossroads. Judon was entering the final season of a four-year contract. The 32-year-old is due to make $6.5 million in base salary in 2024. But Judon felt that $6.5 million did not reflect his accomplishments with the Patriots.
The veteran missed practice with New England this summer due to a contract dispute. Judon eventually showed up but did not fully participate. Judon has since returned to the team, and coach Jerod Mayo said he is “living up to all expectations.” However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Patriots traded Matthew Judon to the Falcons for a 2025 third-round pick on Wednesday night. Judon is out of the picture with New England after three seasons.
Matthew Judon is the Atlanta Falcons’ new star pass rusher.
Atlanta has been looking for a pass rusher for some time, trying to trade for Montez Sweat before last year’s trade deadline and then UCLA’s Raiatu Latu in April’s draft.
Today they acquired Matthew Judon from New England for a third-round pick. https://t.co/Iu6GeLoRKU pic.twitter.com/HiaOBZKEnO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 14, 2024
English:To begin his pro career, Matthew Judon was a fifth-round pick by the Ravens out of Grand Valley State. Judon’s first five seasons were spent in Baltimore, where he appeared in 79 games with 49 starts. His career-high sack with the Ravens was (9.5) during the 2019 campaign. Following the 2020 season, Judon signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the Patriots. In Judon’s first season with the Patriots, he recorded (12.5) sacks in 16 games. The veteran pass rusher didn’t stop there. During the 2022 campaign, Judon set a new career-high with (15.5) sacks in a season.
The 32-year-old was set for another dominant season in 2023. He recorded (4.0) sacks in the Patriots’ first four games. However, Judon tore his biceps in Week 4 and missed the rest of the season. In 2021-2022, Judon recorded (28.0) sacks for New England. The former fifth-round pick is now a member of the Falcons. Atlanta attempted to trade for UCLA’s Laiatu Latu in the 2024 draft, but the deal never came to fruition. Instead, they traded a 2025 third-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for New England’s top pass rusher. Judon is headed to Atlanta without an extension, but there are reports that a deal could be done before the season starts in a few weeks. Matthew Judon will be entering his ninth season in the NFL.
