The Patriots’ top pass rusher wanted a new contract. But instead, the team invested in the future by trading him. Now, who will replace him?
— Coming off a 4-13 season and with a new regime led by executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo, the New England Patriots are in rebuilding mode.
Wednesday’s trade of outside linebacker Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round pick reinforces it that much more.
Judon was entering the final season of the four-year, $56 million contract he signed with the Patriots in March 2021. He is scheduled to earn a base salary of $6.5 million, which he made clear he believed didn’t reflect his value.
The sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a new contract, and on July 29, Judon openly expressed his frustration at the Patriots’ first full-pads practice of training camp, arriving on the field without his pads and watching teammates work while he sat on a flipped-over trash barrel. He had what appeared to be an animated conversation with Mayo before walking off the field, and then later returned to speak with Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh. Judon missed two practices before returning to the team.
Losing their best pass rusher is a significant hit to a defense that is the strength of the team. Judon is also one of the franchise’s most recognizable players, wearing his signature red sleeves and taking time to connect with fans by throwing the football with them before practices and games.
