Matt Judon‘s contract situation remains one worth watching closely. The Patriots edge rusher is set to enter the final year of his current deal, and mixed signals have been sent recently with respect to whether or not an extension will be worked out in the near future.

Judon himself does not foresee a long-term deal coming to fruition, though time still remains to negotiate a resolution before the start of the year. The Patriots have made at least one offer to the four-time Pro Bowler, but the parties have ground to make up if an agreement is to be reached in the coming weeks. The latest reporting on the matter adds further uncertainty to Judon’s future in New England.

Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal stated on his Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast that Judon will not play for the Patriots in 2024 on his current deal (video link). He added that a trade sending him to a new team could be a possibility in the event New England could not resolve the matter with a contract extension or an incentive-laden adjustment. Judon engaged in a training camp holdout last summer prior to a resolution being reached, and he has said such a move will not be repeated in 2024.

The 31-year-old responded to Bedard’s report on social media by confirming he has not personally informed the team of any planned holdout or a refusal play on his current terms. Judon is set to receive $7.5MM in compensation this season while carrying a $14.68MM cap hit. With 32 sacks in 33 Patriots games, a case could certainly be made for a lucrative re-up, and a multi-year extension could lower his 2024 cap charge (although New England is not in need of added flexibility in that respect).

Judon’s value is, of course, clouded by the biceps injury he suffered early in the 2023 campaign. The ailment limited him to four games and hurt his bargaining power this offseason. A report from two weeks ago nevertheless indicated a deal could be reached soon, but the latest developments on the Judon front suggest considerable progress will need to be made for an agreement of any kind to be reached ahead of training camp.

On that note, ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes New England hopes to have all contract matters resolved by the team’s first camp practice (July 24). Judon – along with players such as defensive lineman Davon Godchaux – will therefore be among the ones to watch over the coming days. Eliot Wolf has authorized several deals keeping in-house players in the fold for the Patriots during his first offseason at the helm, and it will be interesting to see if the likes of Judon and Godchaux see their respective situations clarified in the near future.

Uncertainty remains with respect to Matt Judon‘s financial future. The Patriots edge rusher has been floated as one of the next players around the league to receive a lucrative new deal, but plenty of progress between team and player may need to be made for that to be possible.

Judon himself recently hinted on social media that he does not expect to land an extension from New England. The team has prioritized retaining a number of other in-house players this offseason, and keeping the 31-year-old in the fold on a multi-year agreement could create cap issues down the road. The Patriots have nevertheless submitted an offer, Henry McKenna of Fox Sports reports.

That move came amidst a request on Judon’s part for a new deal, McKenna adds. The four-time Pro Bowler missed time during training camp last summer while angling for a raise, but he stated earlier this offseason that a repeat of that approach would not be taking place. The sides discussed a contract during the spring, though Judon’s value is not as high now as it previously was.

The former fifth-rounder racked up 28 sacks across his first two New England campaigns, establishing himself as one of the team’s most important players. Judon was limited to four contests in 2023, however, and his missed time through injury has no doubt hurt his bargaining power. One year remains on his current contract, and he is due a non-guaranteed base salary of $6.5MM in 2024. Judon’s cap hit is $14.68MM, and working out an extension could lower that figure while adding to his up front earnings.

As McKenna notes, however, the sides are not close to an agreement at this time. The Patriots currently have a league-leading $44MM in cap space along with considerable flexibility for next year. A second Judon investment could be feasible as a result, but it will be interesting to see if Eliot Wolf and Co. wait until the start of the campaign to consider meeting his asking price. A healthy and productive start to the season could shift leverage back in favor of the Grand Valley State alum.

In terms of annual average value, Judon’s current contract ranks 27th in the league amongst edge rushers. An extension taking him near the top of the market should not be expected, but a short-term accord in particular could pave the way for a raise and an agreement keeping him in New England beyond 2024. With training camp not far away, this situation will be worth watching closely.

Patriots edge rusher Matt Judon has one year remaining on his current contract. He is due to earn $7.5MM in 2024 and is angling for a new deal, although he has stated that he will not stage a hold-in during this summer’s training camp as he did last year.

The most recent reporting on this matter indicated that, despite extension talks between player and team having taken place this offseason, no agreement was imminent. Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily, however, suggests that the two sides could be closer than expected, reporting that the league’s “next big contract” will not be for one of the quarterbacks known to be negotiating an extension — namely, Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa, and Dak Prescott — but for Judon.

That would certainly make for an interesting development, especially since Judon’s 2023 campaign was marred by injury. He was limited to just four games last season due to a biceps injury, and he tallied four sacks, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2016. And, without the threat of a hold-in or similar negotiating tactic, the Pats could simply allow him to play out the upcoming season before making a decision about his future in Foxborough.

On the other hand, the new Patriots regime, fronted by Eliot Wolf, has made it a point to lock down some of the club’s top talent this offseason. Judon, who is entering his age-32 season, does not necessarily profile as a long-term building block, but skilled pass rushers are a precious commodity regardless of their age, and Wolf does have plenty of future salary cap space to work with. Plus, if rookie QB Drake Maye should live up to his potential, an extension for Judon would keep him under club control for at least the first season or two of New England’s next competitive window.

Since he is coming off a down year, Judon does not have a ton of leverage at this point. Still, he has already made over $67MM during his playing career, and he could be amenable to a somewhat team-friendly accord that nonetheless guarantees him a notable sum of cash and gives him a little more security in the process. Even assuming Jurecki’s sources are correct, it is unclear what they mean by “big contract.”

Last month, Matt Judon made it clear his absence from the voluntary portion of offseason workouts would not continue into mandatory minicamp. The Patriots’ top edge rusher is indeed present for the final aspect of the team’s offseason program.

[RELATED: Rhamondre Stevenson Closing In On Patriots Extension?]

Judon staged a hold-in during training camp last summer before a contract resolution was found. That has left him as a pending free agent due $7.5MM in 2024. Talks on an extension – one which would no doubt come with a raise – have taken place this offseason, though nothing appears to be imminent. In spite of that, Judon’s stance on his financial status suggests a repeat of 2023 should not be expected.

“I’m just gonna get ready to play,” the four-time Pro Bowler said during an appearance on The Rich Shertenlieb Show. “And you know, you kind of don’t – you kind of keep throwing tantrums, tantrums, tantrums, and then you don’t come out there and do what you’re supposed to do? It kind of gets old real fast, you know. I ain’t really trying to do that… Because that, last year, that stuff was trash. I ain’t really like that.”

Of course, Judon’s potential leverage with respect to any further contract-related absences is limited compared to last season. The 31-year-old was held to just four games due to a biceps injury, and as a result his four sacks were his lowest single-season total since his rookie campaign. In his previous two New England seasons, though, Judon racked up 28 sacks. That production makes his accord a rather team-friendly one, something he is aware of but not looking to change.

“Maybe they didn’t know what I was gonna be in four years,” Judon added when referring to his original four-year, $54.5MM Patriots deal. “Maybe they knew exactly what I was gonna be, and it’s at a discount. That’s just how it happens. The money will come. It’ll come if I’m good enough, right? If they value what I do… I think my kids and stuff are gonna be set up for the rest of their life, [with] how much I have already been paid. So I’m gonna be all right whatever I get paid.”

The former fifth-rounder is set to carry a $14.68MM cap hit this season, and an extension could lower it while providing Judon with added security. Even if that does not take place, though, a smoother training camp process should be in store for team and player this summer.

Last offseason, Patriots star pass rusher Matt Judon embarked on negotiations for a new contract knowing that he was one year away from a contract-year. He even staged a bit of a “hold-in” to start camp, participating in a limited capacity to presumably send a message about his dissatisfaction with the progress of the negotiations. Once again, Judon plans to be in attendance, as he refuses to sacrifice current money for future money, per Karen Guregian of MassLive.

Last year, the result of Judon’s restricted protest was a restructured deal that included several incentives. Unfortunately, he fell short of many of those incentives due to injury. Regardless, the compromise was reached with the understanding that the two sides would return to the table for negotiations this offseason.

Reaching a deal in the past few months has been difficult for both sides, though. After seeing him miss significant time, the Patriots are likely to once again focus much of Judon’s future money on incentives that he must earn by being available. Judon, on the other hand, will be seeking a deal heavy in guarantees after missing out on a good deal of money from last year’s deal.

As a result, the two are still far from a reaching a deal. While it can’t be said for certain until either party confirms, it seems that Judon’s sparse attendance in team activities recently has been a result of continued dissatisfaction with his contract situation. Judon was seemingly not in attendance for much (if any) of the team’s voluntary offseason program and missed the portion of OTAs open to the media last week. New head coach Jerod Mayo claims Judon has been “in and out” of the team facility, though it’s unclear how much of that is contract- or football-related.

Regardless of the lack of clarity on the recent situation, Judon has made one thing clear: he does not plan to give away money in pursuit of a new deal. If Judon were to miss the team’s mandatory minicamp from June 11-13, he would be subject to $101K of fines. When asked if he would be there, Judon told Guregian, “Hell yeah, I ain’t giving no money away.”

We’re still a ways off from training camp and the regular season, so there’s still plenty of time for Judon and the Patriots to come to an agreement that works for both sides. In the meantime, though, Judon seems willing to be there only so much as is completely required. The potential is there for these negotiations to foment enmity. As both sides continue to play hardball, they may run out of time and see the situation end up in free agency.