Patriots, OLB Matt Judon Have Discussed New Deal

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.