NFL insider claims Patriots were 'sick of' Matthew Judon

On Thursday, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer said that the New England Patriots' recent blockbuster trade of star pass rusher Matthew Judon wasn't just about the money.

During an appearance on "Boston Sports Tonight," Breer told co-hosts Michael Felger and Michael Holley that the four-time Pro Bowler wasn't "as well-liked" by members of the organization as people may think.

"Judon was not as well-liked by the coaches and front office people as you might have thought. That was really part of it at the end, was that they were just sick of him," he said. "They felt like there was the public-facing Judon, and then there was Judon behind the scenes. The Judon behind the scenes had sort of become a little bit of an operator, and his act had worn thin with people inside the building. And it’s something that was an issue in Baltimore, too, quite honestly."

The months-long drama surrounding Judon and a possible contract extension carried over into training camp and finally concluded last week when New England sent him to the Atlanta Falcons.

The Grand Valley State product signed a four-year, $54.5M deal with the Patriots in March 2021 after spending his first five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, including 2019 and 2020 Pro Bowl campaigns. Judon developed into one of the best pass rushers in the NFL with New England, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2021 and 2022 before suffering a season-ending bicep injury after just four games in 2023.

The two sides agreed to a contract adjustment last August, with the 2016 draft pick signing a $3M extension for 2023 that increased the guaranteed portion of salary from $2M to $14M.

Judon was active on social media throughout his Patriots tenure, often sharing negative and positive comments on the team's moves.

"It’s not saying he’s a bad guy, but there was some of this sort of cheerleader stuff on social media that a lot of people in the organization would roll their eyes at. And then when he became a problem this summer, there was, 'All right, what do we do to move him off the roster now? Because we’re trying to build a new program, and we don’t want this hovering over us,'" Breer said. "So, I think there’s a little bit more to the Judon trade than just the contract situation."

Potentially backing up the argument that there was off-the-field tension between Judon and the Patriots, NFL on CBS insider Jonathan Jones reported last week that the 32-year-old was heading to Atlanta without a new deal. Furthermore, Jones said there was no expectation that a contract extension was "imminent."

Additionally, whether a coincidence or not, New England star running back Rhamondre Stevenson appeared to forget about his former teammate's departure one day after the trade.

During a sideline interview in the third quarter of the team's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, Stevenson was mistaken when WBZ TV's Steve Burton asked him about "the guy who just left," questioning how much the Patriots would miss him.

The ball carrier responded: "Yeah, I miss Bill. That was one of my favorite coaches, but, you know, [Jerod] Mayo, he's a great leader. He knows what he's doing with us and yeah, I'm excited for Mayo. I think we can get it done with him," before Burton informed him that he was referring to Judon.

As they continue a starting quarterback battle into their final preseason game, the Patriots are expected to be among the worst teams in the NFL for the second consecutive season. With Judon joining the likes of fellow newcomers quarterback Kirk Cousins and safety Justin Simmons, the Falcons are looking to solidify themselves as a Super Bowl contender.