Disgruntled Patriot Shuts Down Trade Speculation at Camp
By Joe Summers
One of the biggest storylines at Patriots camp is Matthew Judon's ongoing contract dispute. The four-time Pro Bowler wants a new deal and while he's not been shy about expressing that, he also flatly shut down trade speculation this week.
After sharing a post on social media with a hypothetical trade that would land him in San Francisco, Judon was asked on Wednesday about the possibility of a trade.
In a somewhat surprising response, the star defender assured fans that he has no desire to be traded.
Patriots DE Matthew Judon Shuts Down Trade Talks
Matthew Judon is unhappy with his current Patriots contract. Does that mean he'd welcome a trade?
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) July 24, 2024
The Pro Bowl pass rusher had a definitive response to that: "Hell no." https://t.co/mMXk3fbtu4
"Do I want to be traded? Hell no," Judon told reporters. "God blessed me with a lot of talents and a lot of attributes and a lot of charisma and all that stuff, but that’s one thing that I don’t get to control. So if I go to San Francisco, or I’ve seen trades to Atlanta, Detroit, all that stuff...I just don’t buy into it. Once they tell me I’m gone, that’s when I’m gone."
It's looked for weeks that Judon would eventually leave the team, and even playful tweets from Judon himself indicated as much. With training camp underway though, it looks like Judon's shifting his focus to the team at least for now.
Judon's been clear that he'll play out the remainder of his contract if the two sides can't reach an agreement before Week 1, but he wants the security and comfort of a long-term deal. He missed most of 2023 due to injury, though had 15.5 sacks in 2022 and 12.5 the year prior as a Patriot.
When healthy, Judon is one of the best defensive ends in the NFL and a true difference-maker. New England's hesitancy to offer the extension is understandable given the torn bicep injury he suffered, so perhaps the Patriots just want to see him on the field to ensure he hasn't lost any effectiveness.
In any case, Judon's hope is to avoid a trade and find security with this team. Surrounding Drake Maye with a quality defense is critical to him finding success early, giving Judon's status even more importance.
Even if he's firing off tweets that suggest otherwise, Judon has no desire to force a trade.
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