Matthew Judon Changes Tone About Contract Extension After Patriots Trade

After not finding any common ground between the two sides, the New England Patriots moved on from veteran pass rusher Matthew Judon, trading him to the Atlanta Falcons last week for a third-round pick.

Before training camp began last month, there was some hope that a deal could get done with the Pats and Judon. However, it never came to fruition as the situation between the two sides didn’t improve and New England decided to get what they could for the veteran defender.

The 32-year-old Judon now enters a situation with the Falcons, where he still doesn’t have a new deal but understands what he must do to show Atlanta he’s worth the investment.

“The Falcons know nothing about me as a football player or as a man,” Judon said after Monday’s practice via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “They know my previous resume. I can't really demand or ask for anything I haven't worked for. I'm gonna work for it.”

Judon is taking a vastly different approach with the Falcons than he did with the Patriots, which is interesting to read if you are a Pats fan.

While he’s right that they know nothing about him, outside of his previous resume and that he can’t ask or demand anything, it likely frustrates Patriots fans to see Judon giving his new team grace.

The 32-year defender only played in four games last season due to a torn triceps injury. But before the injury, Judon put together two stellar seasons in New England. In 2021 and ‘22, the veteran pass rusher had a combined 53 quarterback hits, 28 tackles for loss, and 28 sacks.

The Patriots would’ve loved to have Judon on their defensive line this coming season, but now they will watch from afar to see how things go in Atlanta. Judon is auditioning for the Falcons and the rest of the teams in the NFL.

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