Matt Judon

Dolphins Unlikely To Make Several Trades

October 28th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Adam La Rose

Sunday’s win improved Miami’s 2025 record to 2-6. It would still come as no surprise if the team were to adopt a seller’s stance ahead of next week’s deadline.

A number of Dolphins players have been floated as trade candidates recently. At least one move could of course be in store, especially in the case of a rental. A firesale should not be expected, however. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald confirms the team has communicated to potential buyers there will not be a clearing out of the Dolphins’ roster over the coming days.

Edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb have been the most talked-about options in terms of targets on the trade front. Interest will no doubt continue to be shown on both fronts, with any trade being viewed as a rental in each case. It would come as no surprise if the Dolphins were to retain at least one member of that tandem, but even if both remain in place another EDGE deal could be in store.

Matt Judon has recently been mentioned as a trade target, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Jackson) that remains the case. Signed not long before the start of the campaign, Judon has made seven appearances to date but he was also a healthy scratch prior to playing in Week 8. The four-time Pro Bowler has made just eight tackles in 2025 without recording a sack.

Judon’s snap share sits at 32% this season, which marks the lowest usage rate of his career. A change of scenery before the November 4 deadline would not be expected to result in a major uptick in workload for the 33-year-old, but he could still offer contending teams with valuable depth along the edge. Judon is a pending free agent, and taking on the remainder of his $1.5MM salary would not be a challenge in the event a trade were to be worked out.

Regardless of what happens on the Judon front, a relatively quiet approach to the deadline appears to be in store for the Dolphins. Questions about the franchise’s future on the sidelines and in the front office will linger if the team lands short of the postseason once more in 2025, but many of Miami’s key players appear to be on track to remain in place through the remainder of the campaign.

Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle Drawing Interest; Miami Does Not Plan To Deal Waddle, RB De’Von Achane

October 19th, 2025 at 11:45am CST by Rory Parks

At 1-5, the Dolphins look like obvious sellers as the November 4 trade deadline approaches, and sharks are smelling blood in the water. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, several teams have called Miami to inquire about wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

However, the ‘Fins have told those clubs that they have no interest in moving Waddle. Although Miami will surely entertain offers on players on expiring deals, Waddle is under contract through 2028 by virtue of the three-year, $84.75MM extension he signed last year. Moving him would suggest the Dolphins are seeking to rebuild rather than reload for 2026, and it does not appear the team is ready to do that.

Waddle, who will turn 27 next month, was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2021 draft, and he lived up to his draft status right away, catching 104 balls for 1,015 yards and six TDs as a rookie. His yards-per-reception rate (9.8) was a bit underwhelming, but he more than made up for that with a sophomore campaign in which he caught 75 passes for 1,356 yards – good for an NFL-best 18.1 YPR rate – and eight scores.

He landed the above-referenced extension after his third professional season in 2023 (which was the first time he was eligible for a second pro contract). Despite missing three games that year, he still managed to top the 1,000-yard mark while maintaining a solid 14.1 YPR average, so the Dolphins seemingly had no issue authorizing a big-money deal.

His production took a downturn in 2024, as he tallied 58 receptions for 744 yards and just two TDs. In fairness, Tua Tagovailoa played just 11 games last year, but Miami’s QB1 has played more than 13 contests just once during Waddle’s tenure (2023).

Through the first six games of the current slate, Waddle has posted 29 catches for 390 yards and three TDs. It seems WR-needy teams have no qualms about his abilities, though the Dolphins are understandably taking the stance that the Alabama product is staying in South Beach.

They are saying the same thing about running back De’Von Achane. The 2023 third-rounder’s rookie pact runs through 2026, and his body of work includes a career average of 5.5 yards per carry. He is averaging nearly 100 scrimmage yards per game this year, to go along with six total scores.

As such, it is not surprising that rival teams would have interest, and the Seahawks have been named as a potential suitor. But as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote even before Rapoport’s report, the Dolphins are not looking to move either Waddle or Achane.

Rapoport says it is more likely that the Dolphins look to trade an edge rusher like Bradley Chubb or Jaelan Phillips, who have already surfaced in trade rumors. While Chubb is technically under contract through 2027, his deal contains no more guaranteed money beyond this year, which will make a swap manageable from a dead money perspective. Phillips is currently on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal and is therefore an obvious trade candidate.

Matt Judon, whom Miami signed in late August to serve as a complementary pass rusher, has yet to tally a sack in six games. He is a healthy scratch for the Dolphins’ Week 7 contest against the Browns, and both Rapoport and Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports consider him trade fodder (with Jones saying a Day 3 pick swap is likely enough to get a deal done).

Dolphins, Matt Judon Agree To Deal

August 27th, 2025 at 9:56am CST by Adam La Rose

AUGUST 27: The details of Judon’s contract have come to light via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. He has a $1.5MM base salary with a $500K roster bonus and $1MM in per game roster bonuses. That base value of $3MM is doubled by the following incentives, worth $500K each:

59% playtime
65% playtime
seven sacks
10 sacks
Pro Bowl
65% playtime and the Dolphins make the playoffs and rank as a top-20 defense

Judon didn’t accomplish any of those feats in 2024 – though the Dolphins ranked fourth in yards and 10th in yards – making all of the incentives not likely to be earned. Any that Judon achieves will be added to Miami’s 2026 salary cap.

AUGUST 18: Matt Judon‘s Monday visit with the Dolphins brought about the expectation of a deal. To no surprise, an agreement has indeed been reached.

Judon is heading to Miami on a one-year deal, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Colleague Tom Pelissero adds this pact has a maximum value of $6MM. With a short period remaining until the start of the regular season, Judon will now look to acclimate to his fourth career team.

This agreement will allow for a return to the AFC East in Judon’s case. The four-time Pro Bowler spent three seasons with the Patriots, collecting 32 sacks in that time. In the absence of an extension agreement, a trade was worked out last summer sending him to Atlanta. Judon managed to play 17 games (after logging only four the previous year) with the Falcons, but he posted 5.5 sacks as part of a team which again struggled in the pass-rush department.

Judon will join a Dolphins edge rusher room that is led by three former first-round picks in Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and Chop Robinson. Phillips has been sidelined for a week, but Mike McDaniel said that the injury is not serious, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Robinson had an injury scare in a joint practice with the Lions and had to be carted off the field, but returned to practice the next day, and McDaniel has since said that none of the team’s outside linebackers are dealing with significant injuries. Judon, who just turned 33 years old a few days ago, may benefit from a more rotational role after averaging 46.3 snaps per game over the last four years.

Miami now has a fourth proven edge rusher to help compensate for their lack of proven talent along the interior of their defensive line. Zach Sieler is coming off back-to-back 10.0-sack seasons (and recently received an extension for his efforts), but four-year veteran Benito Jones doesn’t have a strong pass-rushing pedigree, nor do rookies Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips.

Judon will now work to get up to speed in his new defense with a little less than three weeks before the Dolphins’ regular-season opener against the Colts.

Dolphins To Host OLB Matt Judon

August 18th, 2025 at 8:54am CST by Adam La Rose

Matt Judon remains one of the top free agents available around the NFL deep into training camp. That could soon change, however.

Judon is set to visit the Dolphins today, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Wilson adds a signing is expected in this case, with NFL insider Jordan Schultz confirming a mutual interest is believed to exist between team and player. Judon has remained on the market since his deal with the Falcons expired in March.

The four-time Pro Bowler was traded from New England to Atlanta last offseason after an extension agreement could not be reached with the Pats. Judon was willing to play out his walk year without a new deal in hand, and he managed a full season after being limited to four games the previous cmapaign. With 5.5 sacks, however, 2024 represented a step back from his previous production when healthy.

That helps explain why Judon is unsigned at this point, although is was reported in May that multiple teams checked in on him. The Dolphins were not linked to a pursuit in this case prior to today; that, coupled with their existing depth along the edge, makes this news somewhat surprising. Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are expected to be healthy for the start of the campaign, something which will be key for Miami’s defense given their missed time in recent years.

2024 first-rounder Chop Robinson is also in the fold, and late in his rookie campaign in particular he flashed considerable potential. A notable workload awaits him in 2025 as a result. Provided Judon signs with Miami, he will be tasked with occupying a rotational role alongside the Phillips-Chubb-Robinson trio. The 33-year-old could help his value by taking a one-year pact and delivering a rebound in terms of sack production upon returning to the AFC East.

The Dolphins entered Monday with $11.7MM in cap space. As such, affording a short-term Judon pact should not be challenging. Depending on how today’s visit goes, it will be interesting to see if the mutual desire for a signing remains in place and a pact does indeed get worked out.

Multiple Teams Have Shown Interest In OLB Matt Judon

May 14th, 2025 at 4:31pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Matt Judon went unsigned in the NFL’s initial waves of free agency signings, but he has received interest from multiple teams, per Kyle Odegard of Card Player.

Judon spoke about his 2024 season in Atlanta and his free agency plans while participating in a celebrity basketball game hosted by former Patriots teammate Mack Wilson in Arizona. Other ex-Patriots like Christian Gonzalez and Keion White were also in attendance, as well as Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

The 32-year-old Judon still thinks he can be an impact pass rusher in the NFL despite a step back in 2024; his 5.5 sacks were his fewest in a full season since his rookie year with the Ravens in 2016. He attributed his regression to a Falcons defensive scheme that asked too much of him in pass coverage.

“If you go look at the film, I dropped on 60 percent of the plays,” said Judon (via Odegard). “It’s hard to get a pick and a sack on the same play.”

While Judon seems to be exaggerating, he did see an uptick in the percentage of snaps he dropped into coverage in Atlanta compared to his time in New England, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, he had even more coverage responsibilities during his four years as a starter in Baltimore.

Jones, who has regularly skipped OTAs in his career, will likely wait until the summer to sign with a new team, though he has been in touch with multiple.

Re-signing with the Falcons would be a surprise. Though the team replaced defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake with Jeff Ulbrich this offseason – which may appeal to Judon given his issues with last year’s scheme – they also drafted two edge rushers in the first round and signed Leonard Floyd in free agency. Judon thinks that would rule out a return to Atlanta, who noted that 2024 third-rounder Bralen Trice would also factor into the defense after missing his rookie year due to a torn ACL.

Judon said he was “open to whatever” when asked about reuniting with the Ravens, but they have a similarly-full edge rushing room. As for other potential destinations, he simply said, “It’s got to make sense,” likely meaning it would take a sizable salary and/or shot at a Super Bowl to get him to put pen to paper.

Commanders, Falcons Interested In Trey Hendrickson; Bengals Made Extension Push

March 9th, 2025 at 9:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 9: Updating the situation, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes that the Bengals are talking to several teams and asking for “significant” compensation in a trade. Even if it is not Hendrickson, the Commanders want to add a defensive end, per ESPN.com’s John Keim. Josh Sweat and Khalil Mack headline the list, though Joey Bosa is now available. Younger rushers like Azeez Ojulari and Malcolm Koonce are also set for free agency.

MARCH 6: As the Bengals — perhaps at their quarterback’s urging — have changed their messaging on Tee Higgins, a tricky situation emerged due to Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson also being in contract years. With Joe Burrow on a top-market deal, it appeared something had to give. Right now, it looks like that piece will be Hendrickson.

A year after shooting down Hendrickson’s trade request, the Bengals have given their top pass rusher permission to find a new team. With Sam Hubbard retiring Wednesday and Joseph Ossai on the cusp of free agency, the Bengals could need a new plan at defensive end soon. As could be expected, Hendrickson suitors are out there.

[RELATED: Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase Not Close On Deal]

The Commanders are among the several interested teams, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, who adds the Falcons are also monitoring this situation. With the edge rusher market soaring past $35MM per year, Hendrickson will have a chance to parlay his sack title into a windfall. This comes ahead of the former Saints draftee’s age-31 season, representing an important stage to secure a big payday.

Hendrickson’s camp will have a chance to work out an extension with another team, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway notes. This would separate the Hendrickson matter from last year’s Haason Reddick situation, when the Jets sent a third-rounder to the Eagles for a player they did not intend to extend — at least, not immediately. The Hendrickson situation would appear to be smoother, as Conway adds the trade compensation part would come next.

The Bengals had negotiated with Hendrickson, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but the standout D-end did not view the team’s market as in step with his value. Maxx Crosby just signed the NFL’s richest non-quarterback contract, at $35.5MM per year. Hendrickson is tied to a one-year, $21MM deal — agreed to while he was on a four-year, $60MM pact. The market has moved considerably since the latter deal came to pass. Although rumblings of the team being willing to pay Chase, Higgins and Hendrickson emerged, that seemed like wishful thinking.

It probably is no coincidence the Hendrickson trade news is coming not long after. The market could move significantly this offseason, as T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and perhaps Aidan Hutchinson join Hendrickson in being on the extension radar. Hendrickson now joins Garrett as a trade candidate.

Chase is set to become at least the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver, and a whopping $40MM-per-year number — after his triple-crown season — has been floated. Higgins was tied to a $30MM-plus number at multiple points this offseason, when it looked like free agency was a realistic possibility. As Burrow has turned up the heat on the organization, Higgins has received a second franchise tag. After an extended stretch where it looked like the Bengals would extend Chase and either find a Higgins trade partner — in a tag-and-trade scenario — or merely separate in free agency, the team looks much more serious about extending its high-end No. 2 wideout. That leaves Hendrickson a trade chip.

While the Bengals are not known for third contracts, they did hand those out to both Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins in the late 2010s. Hendrickson technically signed a third Cincy deal, a one-year add-on in 2023, but he is seeking a true extension. He had kept the door open to his next deal coming from another team, and the Bengals are now willing to listen on trade offers.

The Falcons have been in search of a quality edge rusher for many years. Their Matt Judon trade did not produce Patriots-like production from the veteran talent, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter reports the Falcons will not re-sign Judon before free agency. Judon, 32, will hit the market for a second time. Lorenzo Carter is also set for free agency, again bringing a major need for Atlanta at this premium position. GM Terry Fontenot was also in the Saints’ front office when they drafted Hendrickson.

Washington received surprising production from Dante Fowler‘s latest Dan Quinn reunion; the former No. 3 overall pick totaled a Commanders-high 10.5 sacks last season, outproducing $10MM-per-year teammate Dorance Armstrong (five). Fowler is heading back to free agency. While Frankie Luvu has helped out in a pass-rushing role in Carolina and Washington, the team has a need at defensive end. With Jayden Daniels‘ rookie contract opening the door for additions — and the team is preparing to make them on defense — Washington would be a prime destination for a disgruntled D-end.

Falcons Meet With Drew Dalman; Grady Jarrett Available In Trade?

March 2nd, 2025 at 4:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 2: It remains to be seen how the recent conversations between team and player went, but ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes the Falcons are bracing for Dalman to depart by taking a more lucrative offer than the one they are prepared to make. Ryan Neuzil is in place as a potential successor atop the center depth chart who will require a much smaller cap commitment on Atlanta’s part.

FEBRUARY 25: Poised to be one of the top free agent offensive linemen available, Drew Dalman expressed interest in staying with the Falcons. The team will now take a look at what it will take to make that happen.

The Falcons will meet with their starting center’s camp at the Combine, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter notes. Terry Fontenot stopped short of calling Dalman a player the franchise wants to keep, but the upcoming conversations point to the organization at least determining a price point.

Dalman, 26, replaced Matt Hennessy at center and started for most of the past three seasons. An ankle injury tripped up the former fourth-round pick last year, but Pro Football Focus has graded him as a top-five pivot in each of the past two years. After Lloyd Cushenberry parlayed a good contract year in Denver into $26MM guaranteed at signing — then the second-most among centers — Dalman will probably be angling for a similar number, especially after the news of the salary cap’s latest $20MM-plus spike.

The Falcons, however, have three veteran contracts along their O-line already, rostering Jake Matthews, Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary. Atlanta’s right tackle is, however, in a contract year. The Falcons have until 11am CT on March 10 to conduct exclusive negotiations with Dalman and their other UFAs-to-be.

One of their other unsigned starters, Matt Judon is set to hit the market for the second time. The Falcons have not contacted Judon’s camp about a re-signing yet, Ledbetter adds. That could take place in Indianapolis, but Judon did not reprise his pre-injury form after being acquired for a third-round pick last summer. Despite pursuing better Patriots terms in 2024, Judon did not seek a Falcons extension upon arrival.

The former Division II success story, after suffering a season-ending biceps tear in 2023, posted 5.5 sacks and nine QB hits. Both totals pale in comparison to his peak Patriots and Ravens work, not providing much momentum for a free agency payday. Judon’s age (33 in August) will not help his cause, either. But he should at least attract interest from teams considering a midlevel contract to help their edge-rushing units.

The other veteran added on defense shortly before the season, Justin Simmons is expected to reach the market, according Channel 2 Action News’ Zach Klein. Simmons started 16 games for the Falcons last season, intercepting two passes. Like Judon, however, the four-time All-Pro did not deliver on the level he had with his previous team. The former Broncos defensive centerpiece played out a one-year, $7.5MM deal. At 31, Simmons may need to settle for another short-term pact after waiting for a notable deal to materialize for months last year. The nine-year veteran wants to stay in Atlanta, however.

Simmons and Grady Jarrett share an agent, Todd France, who informed Klein he will likely speak with the Falcons about the status of the veteran defensive lineman. “Grady is an Atlanta Falcon right now, so we’ll see where that goes,” France said. Fontenot (via Ledbetter) did not call Jarrett an untouchable player in trades.

GMs rarely make anyone truly untouchable, though votes of confidence about players’ futures with teams often come out of the Combine. The longest-tenured Falcon defender, Jarrett has played nine seasons with the team. The interior D-lineman is on contract No. 3 with Atlanta, having signed a three-year, $49.5MM deal in 2022. Jarrett’s pact runs through the 2025 season; none of his $15.25MM base salary is guaranteed.

Jarrett, 32 in April, has resided as Atlanta’s top D-lineman for most of his career. He returned from an October 2023 ACL tear last season, notching just 2.5 sacks and finishing with 12 QB hits. The latter total tied for sixth in Jarrett’s career. He would still seemingly garner trade interest, but with a team likely needing to work out a new deal that goes beyond 2025, expecting a major return might be overly optimistic.

As the Falcons attempt to end a seven-year playoff drought, Jarrett’s status will be one of the questions Fontenot’s staff will need to answer in the coming weeks.

Matt Judon, Bears Had Preliminary Contract Talks; More On Judon’s New England Exit

September 1st, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Rory Parks

As we learned shortly after the Patriots agreed to trade contract-year edge defender Matt Judon to the Falcons last month, both Atlanta and the Bears offered New England a third-round draft choice in exchange for Judon. At that point, Judon was given the choice of which team he wanted to play for, and he chose the Falcons.

According to Albert Breer of SI.com, Judon was intrigued by the possibility of playing for Chicago, and he and the club did engage in preliminary contract talks. However, in the player’s view, the commitments that the Bears already have on the books for 2025 made it likely that he would only be with the team for the upcoming season.

While Judon indicated that he would not seek an immediate extension from Atlanta as he did from New England – saying that “the Falcons know nothing about me as a football player or as a man” – he can at least foresee a multiyear stay with the Falcons. Interestingly, as OverTheCap.com indicates, the Bears actually are projected to have the eighth-most cap room in the league in 2025, while the Falcons have the sixth-least.

On the other hand, Chicago is already tethered to a contract for a high-end edge rusher (Montez Sweat), whereas Atlanta has no such deal on its books. Speculatively speaking, perhaps the Sweat contract – along with the convincing sales pitch that Breer says Falcons head coach Raheem Morris gave to Judon about his role in the team’s defense – is what tipped the scales in Atlanta’s favor.

Even though New England extended Judon the courtesy of choosing between the two teams that extended acceptable trade proposals, Breer said on a recent appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub that the Patriots’ coaches and front office personnel “were just sick of” Judon (video link). The lack of a resolution to Judon’s contract situation – the four-time Pro Bowler was, of course, pushing for a new deal when he was still a member of the Pats – certainly played a significant role in his departure, but Breer notes that the rift went beyond finances.

Patriots staffers, per Breer, believed there was the “public-facing Judon” and the “Judon behind the scenes,” and that the latter version of the player was something of an “operator” whose “act had worn thin.” Breer said those same traits were on display during Judon’s stint with the Ravens, and that the new Pats regime – which of course has extended a number of Bill Belichick-era acquisitions this offseason – was more than willing to move on.

As Judon attempts to return to form in a platform campaign for his new club, Oshane Ximines appears to have benefitted the most from his departure. A former third-round pick of the Giants, Ximines never truly established himself with New York, and he signed with the Patriots via the veteran salary benefit this offseason. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes, Ximines was viewed as a bubble player when training camp began, but the Judon trade opened up a roster spot.

Outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, who served in the same capacity with the Giants over the last two seasons, said, “[Ximines] has been great. ame in here, learned the playbook quickly, humble approach to everything — a guy that wants to play the run, set the edge and do the dirty work. He fits right in this defense.”

Latest On Matt Judon’s Patriots Departure

August 20th, 2024 at 1:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Patriots gave notable contracts to several in-house options this offseason, Matt Judon is now with the Falcons. That became New England’s solution to a simmering issue, with solid offers coming in from multiple teams.

After losing the Montez Sweat sweepstakes to the Bears at the deadline, the Falcons won out by sending a third-rounder to the Pats. Judon remains in a contract year and, unlike Haason Reddick, is not forcing the issue with his new team. No extension appears imminent. This is not the way, of course, Judon approached matters during his final weeks as a Patriot.

Judon’s situation, which involved a hold-in and a visible dustup with Patriots brass at practice, escalated after the Patriots extended Christian Barmore, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. This agreement (four years, $84MM) came to pass back in late April, leading into the Pats’ offseason program. It made Barmore the Pats’ highest-paid defender — by a significant margin. Although Judon received an adjustment last summer, he was still tied to a four-year, $54MM deal he had signed in 2021. The ex-Ravens draftee had outplayed that contract, but his age (32) and the biceps tear he sustained last season complicated his path to new terms.

The Pats were talking extension terms with both Barmore and Judon back in March, but conversations with the latter did not progress. Judon did not skip minicamp, but he staged a hold-in at training camp. New England’s camp then included a two-year, $18MM deal with DT Davon Godchaux, a player who had also angled for a new contract. The Patriots had submitted an offer by early July, and a subsequent report stated multiple proposals emerged. These were not believed to be true extension offers, and Judon disputed the report. Judon said he was not pursuing a top-market contract, citing his injury, but believed he was worth more than the $6.5MM in base salary — a number affected by the Pats moving money from 2024 to 2023 on his deal last summer — he was tied to in his contract year.

This lengthy chapter also included the dispute with Jerod Mayo and de facto GM Eliot Wolf. Judon argued with both Pats decision-makers before leaving a practice weeks ago, and although he soon returned, Breer indicates calls began coming in soon after. The Bears and Falcons offered third-round picks, and the Dolphins and Texans were in on the pursuit as well. Judon now joins Justin Simmons as 30-something Falcons defenders aiming to improve their respective markets ahead of the 2025 free agency period.

As for the Patriots, this trade will challenge their ability to pressure quarterbacks. Barmore remains on New England’s NFI list due to blood clots. If the team’s 2023 sack leader is moved to the reserve/NFI list in the coming days, he must miss at least four games. While the Pats have the recently re-signed Josh Uche and 2023 second-rounder Keion White on the edge, Judon combined for 28 sacks between the 2021 and ’22 seasons.

After Judon saw so many Patriots receive extensions this offseason, the situation became untenable. The Pats did well to collect a third-rounder, though, and how Judon bounces back will help determine who prevails in the NFC South.

Matt Judon Not Seeking Falcons Extension

August 19th, 2024 at 9:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

As a pending free agent attached to a below-market contract, Matt Judon‘s financial situation was a point of contention this offseason. His trade from the Patriots to the Falcons paved the way for a change of scenery, but it does not appear it will be accompanied by a new deal.

Judon is due $7.5MM in 2024, including a $6.5MM base salary which will lock in just before Week 1. He publicly stated he sees his value on a multi-year deal as being much closer to the top of the edge rush market, although his 2023 biceps injury limits his leverage in seeking a raise. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said in the wake of the trade the team was comfortable in not pursing an extension agreement, and the four-time Pro Bowler is on board with that approach.

“The Falcons know nothing about me as a football player or as a man,” Judon said when speaking to the media on Monday (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.”

The 32-year-old did not receive a new financial commitment from the Patriots – something which was the case for a slew of other New England players this offseason. That resulted in brief missed time at training camp before a return to practice and an increase in trade interest from outside teams. The Bears joined the Falcons in offering a third-round pick, and a Sunday report indicated Judon was given the choice between the two teams.

The former fifth-rounder declined to offer a firm comment on that subject during his media availability, but in any event he will be counted on to provide high-end production with the Falcons. Judon racked up 32 sacks in 33 Patriots games, and a strong (not to mention healthy) campaign in Atlanta will help his market value. It seems his next contract will have to wait until after his debut Falcons season, though.

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