Insider Drops Major Hint on Matthew Judon's Future With Patriots

Will the New England Patriots pass rusher be here to stay?

Nov 20, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon (9) / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

With the bulk of NFL free agency and the draft finally past us, most of the offseason happenings have quieted down around the league as new rosters start preparing in OTAs and camps for 2024.

Still, that isn't to say action isn't continuing to happen behind the scenes as a few teams need to work out some contracts on the books. The New England Patriots are among the teams still sifting through their list of priorities for this offseason, one of which leans on the future of edge rusher Matthew Judon.

Judon is sitting on the last year of his previously-signed four-year contract in 2021, which has inevitably generated some questions on how his upcoming deal will pan out after next season, and what the outlook of his numbers could look like. And while we haven't seen an agreement come to fruition yet, expect New England to be motivated to get something done.

When projecting how the next few months ahead could look for the Patriots, ESPN insider Mike Reiss detailed that a Judon extension remains in the cards, as the star pass rusher is unlikely to be expected to play under his current deal.

"Newly appointed Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf has been checking off items on his contractual "to-do" list, most recently extending starting center and team leader David Andrews' deal. So perhaps the most significant item remaining is with veteran outside linebacker Matthew Judon, who is scheduled to earn a base salary of $6.5 million in the final year of his contract. That is well under the market for a player of his caliber, and it's hard to imagine Judon agreeing to play under those terms. At the same time, Judon's return from a torn biceps that limited him to four games last season, coupled with his age (32 in August), add layers of note in any negotiation."

The extension of Judon would likely be a shoo-in if he was able to appear in more games last season, but his untimely torn bicep that sidelined him for 13 contests in 2023 effectively threw a wrench in those plans. His previous two seasons of production merit him getting another deal from the Patriots as is, but it comes down to ironing out the years and dollars attached.

New England has some time ahead before they have to hammer out the specifics, but don't expect Judon to be going anywhere for next season and onwards.

---

Follow Patriots Country on X for more New England Patriots coverage!