Getty Bears head coach Matt Eberflus could still add another veteran to his defense.
The Chicago Bears may still have a veteran trade option available to them if the New England Patriots do not make progress with disgruntled former Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon and his contract demands in the coming weeks.
Judon’s contract dispute with the Patriots took a turn for the worse earlier this week. The four-time Pro Bowler had previously said he planned to play out the final year of his contract despite not liking the terms and the under-market-value $6.5 million base salary owed to him in 2024, but things seemed to change at July 29’s practice.
On Monday, Judon showed up for the first day of padded practice without his pads and sat off to the side watching the other pass rushers work through drills. Cameras then appeared to capture him having animated discussions with both head coach Jerod Mayo and top executive Eliot Wolf that ended with him leaving the practice field.
The following day, Judon did not show up for July 30’s practice; though, it is unclear whether Judon decided he would not attend or the Patriots told him not to show up.
Either way, Judon’s contract standoff with the Patriots has intensified trade rumors about the 31-year-old pass rusher. And if the Patriots cannot remedy the situation, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes the Bears are a top landing spot for him.
“While acquiring Judon wouldn’t directly aid [Caleb] Williams, it would round out the roster and help take some pressure off of the rookie quarterback,” Knox wrote on July 30. “Chicago has the cap space to absorb Judon’s $6.5 million base salary, and with roughly $60 million in projected 2025 cap space, it could also afford to extend him.”
Does Matthew Judon Fit Bears’ Culture Expectations?
From a talent perspective, Judon should certainly interest the Bears if the Patriots make him available. He is already in his 30s and is coming off a season-ending biceps injury that cost him the final 13 games of 2023, but he has 32 sacks and 62 quarterback hits in 38 games over the past three years. He also made the Pro Bowl in four straight seasons before 2023 and had four sacks in four games before his injury in Week 4 last year.
No doubt, Judon remains a talented pass rusher who could help the Bears defense. Does he fit the culture head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles have worked so hard to create with the Bears over the past two seasons, though?
The Bears would need to do some research on Judon’s contract dispute to make an educated decision. He makes valid points about the value of his current deal and how it compares with some of the NFL’s similarly productive pass rushers, but he also agreed to a revised, two-year contract worth $22.5 million with the team in the 2023 offseason and less than a year later decided he was no longer happy with the deal’s terms.
Would things really be much better if the Bears brought him to Chicago?
The other part of the problem is what Judon wants: a contract extension. Knox is correct in the sense that the Bears have money to spend in 2025, but they might not want to invest that money into someone who will be 33 before the 2025 season starts. And if the Bears are not interested in extending Judon, would they really give up draft capital — potentially a fourth-round pick or more — for a one-year arrangement?
The odds seem long.
Austin Booker Could Eliminate Need for Veteran EDGE
Talk about the Bears needing to add another edge rusher dominated headlines in the lead-up to training camp. Poles himself even left the door open for the team to add another veteran to the room before camp, similar to the way he did in 2023 before the team went out and signed Yannick Ngakoue to a one-year, $10.5 million contract.
At the same time, Poles also said he feels “really comfortable with the guys” they currently have on their roster. The team returns 2023 starters Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker and added veteran Jacob Martin on a one-year deal for depth, but the biggest addition to the defensive end room is fifth-round rookie Austin Booker — who has been an early standout in training camp due to his versatility.
Booker had been thought to be competing for a rotational role on the Bears defense as a rookie, but he has gotten more reps with the first-team defense over the first several camp practices as the team had tried to conserve Sweat. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound lengthy pass rusher has also made the most of his early opportunities as a rookie, earning praise from new defensive coordinator Eric Washington along the way.
The Bears may still sign one of the remaining veteran pass rusher on the market to ensure they have enough depth, but Booker could eliminate their desire to do so if he continues to show that he is more NFL-ready than previously believed. And for his part in it, Booker doesn’t mind being overlooked … because he knows what he can do then.
“I’m going to continue to get better in the shadows and they’re not going to know what’s coming,” Booker told reporters on July 29.