Ravens LB Surprised by Rivalry With Titans, Willing to See it From Both Sides
Matthew Judon is not much into the history of the game.
After all, you don’t have to go back that far to find the genesis of the rivalry between the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. Still, the fifth-year outside linebacker who has played his entire NFL career with the Ravens claimed he was unaware there was any bad blood between the former division rivals.
“I don’t really know where the rivalry came from,” Judon said Friday night on Time to Schein, on the CBS Sports Network. “Like, I knew we don’t like nobody in our division. We don’t like the Bengals. We have a stronger dislike for the Browns. And we have the ultimate hatred toward the Steelers. That’s football.
“… But I didn’t even know we didn’t like Tennessee. Like, this is new to me.”
Of course, it dates back to 2000 when Baltimore ruined what the Titans and their fans believed was a run to the Super Bowl. It includes five postseason meetings in which the road team has won every time, including this year’s 20-13 triumph by the Ravens in the wild card round.
The whole affair got new life this year with the dispute over midfield logos. And so on.
But here is the thing: Judon, a two-time Pro Bowler who has 34 1/2 career sacks, including 9 1/2 in 2019, is willing to see things from both sides.
The 28-year-old out of Grand Valley State, a fifth-round pick in 2016, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March. And it is no secret that the Titans will be in the market for an outside linebacker who can get to the quarterback – maybe more than one.
“We’ve got to be in that position, and I’m going to have to pray and talk to my guys about it,” Judon said about the possibility of a competitive offer from Tennessee. “… If I’m on that side of the rivalry, I’m on that side of the rivalry. … But with those guys in the [Ravens] locker room, it’s still going to be all love. … After the game, it’s still going to be all love, but during the game I might have to dirty one of them up.”
