Matthew Judon Goes Off on ‘Spoiled’ Patriots Fans

Nobody knows what winning feels like more than New England Patriots fans. Since the 2001 season, the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick tandem led the Patriots to an NFL-leading six Super Bowl victories during that stretch, cementing themselves as one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.

Unfortunately, the Patriots haven't done a ton of winning lately.

Not only have they missed three of the last four postseasons since Brady left town, but they're only averaging 7.3 wins per season during that stretch. In other words, it isn't surprising that the fanbase is frustrated after going for nonstop winning for nearly two decades to the last few years' shortcomings.

While being frustrated by a team is part of being a sports fan, Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon believes that some fans are taking it too far.

Patriots News: Matthew Judon Calls New England Fans 'Spoiled'

Judon, who joined the Patriots as a free agent in 2021, had some harsh words for the team's fans when he appeared on Monday's edition of the Shut Up Marc Podcast. During his appearance, the 31-year-old LB told the hosts that while he loves the New England fanbase, he doesn't like how fans hate the Pats' lack of recent success more than they do other teams.

"[Patriots fans] just been so spoiled from winning — consistently winning — that y’all don’t dislike the other team," Judon said as he voiced his frustrations. " Y’all dislike our team cause we losing."

On one hand, it's easy to see where Judon is coming from. Regardless of how bad the Patriots have been in recent years, it has to be frustrating to see fans who'd rather hate on the team than boo the opposition.

On the other hand, Judon wasn't with the franchise during the Brady-Belichick era, so it isn't as if he knows what the fanbase is going through. The aforementioned duo spoiled the city for years, yes, however, a lot of goodwill has faded away after Belichick made some questionable draft and personnel decisions following Brady's exit.

In other words, Judon likely have been more understanding of the fans' behavior if he hadn't arrived in town following the glory days.

Judon Continues to Provide Off-Field Distractions

Judon's frustration towards the fanbase emerges as he's in the middle of a contract controversy. The four-time Pro Bowl defender sat out of Monday's full-padded practice as he continues to search for a pay raise over the $7.5 million he's scheduled to make this season.

During that same podcast appearance, Judon made it clear that he wants the Patriots to use a portion of their $43 million cap space — the most in the NFL, per Spotrac — to finalize a deal so he can re-focus on training camp.

Judon made an immediate impact upon joining the Patriots. He registered a whopping 28.0 sacks in his first two seasons with the franchise, resulting in back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances and a ninth-place finish in the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Unfortunately, Judon wasn't able to continue that success last season. The former Grand Valley State defender injured his biceps against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 and didn't suit up for another game. He registered a total of 10 solo tackles, 4.0 sacks, and a safety in his four appearances.

Having said that, a season-ending injury like that one could be a big reason why the Patriots are hesitant to pay Judon. While there's no denying his status as one of the league's best LBs, he's still turning 32 years old in less than three weeks and his body might not have what it takes to recover to a high level anymore.

Let's just hope that Judon and the Patriots can work out an agreement that lets them put any contract discussions in the rearview. New England needs as few distractions as possible given that their current project win total sits at 4.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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