The torn bicep which forced Matt Judon to exit New England’s Week 4 loss will lead to surgery and an extended absence. The team’s top edge rusher will undergo surgery on Wednesday, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

As Schefter notes, Judon’s intention is to return at some point this season. For the time being, though, he will be out indefinitely. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds that the 31-year-old will be sidelined for at least the next two months, an absence which be acutely felt along New England’s defensive front.

Judon has earned a Pro Bowl nod in each of the past four years, making his transition from the Ravens to the Patriots a smooth one. The former fifth-rounder racked up 28 sacks in his first two years in New England, giving him leverage in asking for a raise in term of 2023 compensation. His restructured pact upped his earnings for this season, giving him $14MM in guaranteed money. With 2024 still the final year of his contract, however, there was an expectation another strong campaign would lead to a new round of extension talks.

In the early going, Judon was well on his way to another productive season with a team-leading four sacks. He added 11 pressures and five tackles for loss in his three-plus games, putting him on track to secure either another lucrative restructure or a new multi-year pact in the offseason. In the wake of this injury, however, Judon’s bargaining position will no doubt be negatively affected.

The Patriots have registered six sacks so far from players other than Judon, so missing the latter for an extended stretch will put considerable strain on their edge rush group. Former second-rounder Josh Uche, who is in a contract year and posted 11.5 sacks last season, will be counted on to repeat his 2022 performance without Judon in the fold. New England currently has just over $4.2MM in cap space, meaning the team could afford a low-cost addition amongst the league’s remaining unsigned edge rushers. No member of that group would be able to replicate Judon’s impact, however, as the Patriots look to rebound from Sunday’s lopsided defeat.

The Patriots might have been dealt a significant blow today in what was already a tough day with an extremely one-sided loss in Dallas. During the game against the Cowboys, star pass rusher Matt Judon suffered an injury that could affect him for a significant portion of the season. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Judon suffered a lower biceps tendon tear that is expected to sideline him for some time.

Judon would be a significant loss for a Patriots defense that has routinely depended on him as their source for pressuring the quarterback since he arrived in 2021. During his first season in New England, Judon led the team in sacks with 7.5 more than the next closest defender, setting a career-high for himself of 12.5. Last year, Judon once again led the team with a new career-high 15.5 sacks while being joined in double-digit totals by Josh Uche, who had 11.5.

This season has been more of the same for Judon who currently leads the team with four sacks, three more than anyone else on the team. The Patriots are already dealing with a litany of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, so if Judon is forced to miss significant time, New England may be scratching the bottom of the barrel for replacement options.

On the team’s depth chart, Anfernee Jennings and Chris Board are listed behind Judon as weakside linebackers. Board is a career special teamer who, through hard work, was able to earn some defensive snaps during his time in Baltimore and Detroit, but so far, the Patriots have only utilized him on special teams. Jennings, on the other hand, has never proven to be much of a pass rusher since being drafted in the third round three years ago, only amassing 1.5 sacks over his career.

While a diagnosis has already been determined, according to Schefter’s report, the severity of the injury is still to be determined by an MRI that will likely take place tomorrow. While Judon and the Patriots will have their fingers crossed for good news, similar injuries have had a history of being season-ending. Hopefully, Judon’s scans come back hinting at the possibility of a return this season, but in the case that they don’t, Judon will surely be thankful for the recent adjustment to his contract that increased his guaranteed earnings over the next two years.

Since joining the Patriots on a four-year, $54.5MM contract, outside linebacker Matt Judon has been a star. He seems to want to stay in New England for the foreseeable future, and one would assume the Patriots would like nothing more than to keep him around and producing. While Judon won’t talk to the media about anything contract-related, according to Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal, it does sound like some conversations between the two parties have taken place.

After five years in Baltimore, Judon gave New England the first double-digit sack total of his career. He followed that up this past season by topping that double-digit sack total with 15.5 sacks, a new career high. After only amassing 34.5 sacks during his time with the Ravens, Judon has exploded onto the scene with 28.0 sacks in only two years as a Patriot.

With his production exceeding expectations, naturally, a new deal that reflects his output has been brought up by the media. Despite Judon’s insistent secrecy, some comments that he made today hinted at some discussions having taken place between him and some team brass.

Last year saw Judon restructure his contract to lessen his cap hit going into the 2022 season. Seeing as he is set to account for the 19th highest defensive cap hit in 2023, it would behoove both parties to seek an adjusted deal. Judon could help clear some cap space for New England, while the Patriots could kill three birds with one stone by lowering Judon’s cap number, giving him a bit of a raise as a reward, and keeping him in town for a few more years.

With discussions on the brain, reporters inquired about whether or not Judon was staging a “hold-in” over the first few days of camp. He had participated in a limited capacity for the first two days of training camp but progressed towards more involvement today.

“Me and the guys talked about it,” Judon said in response to the allegations, “and we both felt like, ‘Alright, we can do that for two days. Then we can ease into things.'”

So, it looks like Judon’s soft “hold-in” has trickled out and returned to full participation. It was, presumably, a passive-aggressive communication that he is still hoping to work towards a new deal. It sounds like both parties have interest in getting something done, but wanting it and getting it done are two different things. It seems that there is still a ways to go in these discussions, but there is a hint optimism.