Matthew Judon sheds light on his contract frustration with Patriots

Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon (9) greets fans before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Matthew Judon’s contract situation with the New England Patriots appears to be coming to a head, and Judon is increasingly his public pressure to get something done.

In an appearance on the “Shut Up Marc” podcast released Monday, Judon opened up about his frustration with the Patriots over his lack of a new deal. Judon pointed out that the Patriots have plenty of cap space, and that he could not figure out why the team was unwilling to use some of it to pay him.

“I don’t want to be the villain. I don’t want to be the bad guy,” Judon said. “But it’s like, shoot, bro, help me out. We’ve got the most cap in the league right now. They don’t even get the money. What the hell are y’all doing with it? Y’all literally just not using it.”

Judon admitted that he understood the Patriots’ front office has tough decisions to make regarding who to pay, but said he had sent his own contract proposal to the Patriots and never received a response.

Judon is not quite correct that the Patriots have the most cap space, but his general point is correct. As of Monday, the team has over $43 million in available cap space, the second-highest total in the league.

It was unclear when the podcast was recorded, though it presumably took place prior to Judon leaving Monday’s practice following an animated discussion with team executives. Either way, the comments shed some light on what presumably led to his frustration on Monday.

Judon was limited to four games last season after he suffered a torn biceps muscle early in the year. He had four sacks in those four contests. Judon was arguably New England’s best defensive player in 2021 and 2022, totaling 28 sacks across the two seasons and appearing in all 17 games each year. His base salary for 2024 is just $6.5 million with roughly $1 million in incentives.

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