Matthew Judon contract: Patriots star OLB doesn't participate in first padded practice as he seeks new deal

New England Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon has had an interesting offseason, filled with trade rumors, comments about being unhappy with his contract, missed voluntary workouts and now sitting on the sidelines during training camp. Judon was present at Patriots practice on Monday, but in the team's first day with pads, he didn't get involved.

Instead, he came dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, sat on a trash can and watched his teammates run through drills. He interacted with head coach Jerod Mayo , executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh, and while what was said is unclear, the interactions were animated and left the outside linebacker looking "frustrated," according to NBC Sports .

Last week, ahead of the first practice, Mayo noted that Judon reported and would practice, which did end up happening. Judon has said he will play on his current deal , explaining, "my signature's on it, so I gotta play on it," but him not participating today may mean he is willing to take a stronger stance to get an extension done.

The four-time Pro Bowler has expressed not wanting to be fined for missing anything mandatory, saying , "I ain't giving no money away." The next few days of camp will be very telling on what his current stance with the team is and whether he changes his mind on missing team activities.

The veteran is entering the final year of his four-year, $56 million contract signed in 2021 and is set to make a base salary of $6.5 million in 2024. The 31-year-old has been vocal that he wants a new deal and feels he is worth more than he is set to take home. He even fueled trade rumors when he reposted a social media post that trade him and a second-round pick for San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk .

Judon missed OTAs in 2023 as he looked for changes to his contract, and the two sides agreed to increase his guaranteed money from $2 million to $14 million. Since that negotiation didn't result in adding more years to the contract, Judon is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, if things stay as is.