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The New England Patriots could build more for the future this offseason by trading linebacker Matthew Judon.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport proposed that the Patriots could trade Judon to the Atlanta Falcons and land a 2025 third-round draft pick in 2025 followed by a fifth-round pick in 2026. Judon has remained the subject of trade rumors this offseason amid his four-year, $54 million deal and the Patriots’ rebuild.
“Judon is 31 and coming off a significant injury. But from 2019 to 2022, Judon made four straight Pro Bowls with the Patriots and Baltimore Ravens. In 2021 and 2022, he racked up 28 sacks,” Davenport wrote on June 14 in a column on “shocking” hypothetical trades. “If the Falcons could land that caliber of player at a position of need, it could swing the balance of power in the NFC South.”
Matthew Judon Is Focused on 2024 With Patriots
For now, Judon said, he is just focused on the 2024 season with the Patriots.
“Uh, right now, I’m just gonna get ready to play,” Judon told 100.7 WZLX’s Michael Hurley on June 11. “And you know, you kind of don’t — you kind of keep throwing tantrums, tantrums, tantrums, and then you don’t come out there and do what you’re supposed to do?
“It kind of gets old real fast, you know. I ain’t really trying to do that,” Judon added. “I’m just trying to come out here and play football, get ready for this upcoming season and put our defense and ourselves in a position where we can win the most games or be the most effective.
“So that’s what I’m really on right now,” Judon said. “I ain’t worried about holding out, sitting out … kind of protesting. … Because that, last year, that stuff was trash. I ain’t really like that. Like, I’m a football player. I don’t want to get into the agency side. So I’m gonna come out here and play some football.”
Judon looks to bounce back from a quiet 2023 season in which he played just four games amid injury. He tallied a career-low 4 sacks, 13 tackles and 9 quarterback hits in that span.
His time in New England has been otherwise productive, with 32 sacks, 133 tackles and 62 quarterback hits in the past three years. New England signed Judon to his current deal as a free agent from the Ravens in 2021.
“Maybe they didn’t know what I was gonna be in four years,” Judon said about his contract. “Maybe they knew exactly what I was gonna be, and it’s at a discount. That’s just how it happens.”
Matthew Judon Seeks Fifth Pro Bowl, Playoff Appearance
Judon, a former Division II Grand Valley State standout, entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick by the Ravens in 2016. He tallied 34.5 sacks, 167 tackles and 103 quarterback hits in five years with Baltimore.
Judon became a consistent force in that span after the Ravens made him a regular starter in 2017. His final two seasons in Baltimore began a streak of four-straight Pro Bowl appearances before last year.
He also has five games of playoff experience amid a sack, 14 tackles, and eight quarterback hits in his four seasons of postseason action. If Judon returns to peak performance in 2024, he could make it five seasons with a Pro Bowl and playoff appearance in his career.
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