Could Matthew Judon Pull a Haason Reddick On The Falcons?

The Atlanta Falcons just swung a trade with the New England Patriots to acquire edge rusher Matthew Judon, but there is a problem: the Falcons have not yet extended Judon’s contract.

Given that Judon’s issues with the Patriots were a direct result of his lack of security beyond 2024, you would think the Falcons would have handled that from the jump.

It’s a similar scenario to the New York Jets, who landed Haason Reddick in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this offseason but did not provide him with an extension. In turn, Reddick has been holding out of training camp.

Could Judon do the same thing to Atlanta?

The 32-year-old is slated to earn $6.5 million in base salary in 2024, the final year of his deal. He wanted a new contract from New England, but the Pats did not supply him with one (and understandably so given the Patriots are now rebuilding).

The Falcons badly needed a pass rusher, and they got a star in Judon. But we have to see whether or not he actually takes the field for Atlanta.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, Judon could refuse to show up for his physical with the Falcons, which would negate the trade.

Have the Falcons already discussed this with Matthew Judon?

Perhaps Atlanta has already held this discussion with Judon. The Falcons may have verbally reached an agreement with Judon involving what they plan to do involving his deal, but remember: the Jets thought they reached the same type of understanding with Reddick. We see how that turned out.

Atlanta would almost surely be more open to providing Judon with an extension than New England considering that the Falcons are in win-now mode. Heck, they just handed Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million deal featuring $100 million in guaranteed money.

Matthew Judon probably isn’t aiming for a massive contract. He surely knows that his age—coupled with the fact that he missed the last 13 games of last season due to a torn bicep—will make it rather tenuous for any team to commit to him beyond 2026. Atlanta may even be hesitant to give him a deal past 2025.

Whatever the case may be, the Falcons appear to have filled a pretty big hole here by acquiring one of the best pass rushers in football.

Whether or not it all comes to fruition in the end remains to be seen.

Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here . Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network .

The post Could Matthew Judon Pull a Haason Reddick On The Falcons? appeared first on NFL Analysis Network .