New England Patriots coaches were “sick” of Matthew Judon before trading the star pass rusher to the Atlanta Falcons .
Earlier this month, Judon was traded to the Falcons in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after contract talks between the team and player fell apart. Judon and the Pats had been engaged in a contract spat all offseason, given the 32-year-old was set to earn a base salary of $6.5 million for the 2024 season.
According to speculation in New England, Judon may not have been entirely forced out of the AFC East franchise due to monetary battles. He was reportedly rubbing staff the wrong way, with NBC Sports claiming coaches and the front office were “sick” of Judon due to his behavior behind the scenes.
Days after he was dealt, Judin bemoaned a lack of communication for his departure from the Patriots. He told NBC Sports Boston: “I don’t know. I feel like we just never sat down and really came to the table. I think that’s the biggest point. They kind of didn’t know where I was at.
“We kind of didn’t know where they was at. It was just always through text messages and phone calls, we just never sat down and actually talked about it. I think that was the biggest kind of disconnect.”
Earlier this offseason, Judon was seen engaging in a heated argument with Pats head coach Jerod Mayo and members of the front office. The outside linebacker hit out at Mayo along with Executive Vice President of player personnel Eliot Wolf and Director of player personnel Matt Groh before swiftly exiting practice.
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Judon's first two seasons in New England were highly productive after signing in free agency following five years with the Baltimore Ravens . He earned back-to-back Pro Bowl nods by notching consecutive sack tallies of 12.5 and 15.5 before missing most of the 2023 season with injuries.
Judon is entering the last season of a four-year deal worth $56 million signed before the 2021 campaign. Surprisingly, he is downplaying the necessity for a new deal now he is in Atlanta.
“The Atlanta Falcons know nothing about me as a football player and about me as a man,” Judon said, per ESPN. “They really know my previous resume. So, I can’t really demand or ask for anything that I haven’t worked for. And that’s where I’ve been my whole life. So, I’m [going to] work for it, man.”
Last season, Judon tallied four sacks in four games before suffering a torn bicep that prematurely ended his campaign. In the two seasons before last, Judon’s 28 sacks were tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers ’ T.J. Watt for the third-most in football .
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