Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry join Arbella Early Edition to discuss Matthew Judon’s future with the Patriots
Matt Judon and the New England Patriots don't appear any closer to an agreement on a new contract with training camp set to start this week.
The four-time Pro Bowl linebacker is set to make $6.5 million in 2024 but is looking for a raise ahead of the new season. FOX Sports' Henry McKenna reported last week that the Patriots offered Judon a new deal, but the two sides still weren't close.
The Judon contract saga took a bizarre turn over the weekend when he reposted an X user's hypothetical trade that would send him to the San Francisco 49ers. By reposting the trade, Judon seemed to hint at wanting out of New England. But on Monday, ESPN's Mike Reiss told 98.5 The Sports Hub "the parties are talking" and "normally, when both parties are talking, a resolution is reached.”
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So, what should we make of the situation? What is Judon looking for in a deal? NBC Sports Boston's Patriots insiders Phil Perry and Tom E. Curran discussed on Monday's Early Edition.
"It sounds as though it's not like we're on the precipice of Judon being off the team. But when you're out there retweeting trade proposals that actually have you sent out of town, I would say generally speaking, that's not a great thing," Perry said. "If he's not demanding a trade, it seems as though based on his social media usage that he's at least open to it.
"Now, is he hoping that he gets traded and then ends up acquiring a new deal with whatever team he ends up on? And that example was the 49ers. Who knows where his head is at as far this goes? What I would say we can bank on is that he wants some guaranteed money.
"Last year, he had $2 million guaranteed of his 2023 portion of his deal. The Patriots gave him a big old raise. He had 14 million by the end of it that was guaranteed to him. So can they do something similar this year and guarantee him 10, 11, maybe even $12 million to get him back to where he belongs when you're looking at the hierarchy of pass rushers in the league? I would say it's worth their while to do something like that."
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Curran sees Judon suiting up for the Patriots this year. However, he's hesitant to say the soon-to-be 32-year-old should be paid more than $12 million.
"What we don't know is exactly what Matthew Judon wants," Curran said. "Does he want to be in the top 10 highly-paid pass rushers in the league? I mean, he has been a Pro Bowl player. He was productive last year before his injury. Does he still look at himself and see in the mirror a guy who should be paid among the top 10 pass rushers? If that's the case, the Patriots have to go further than 10 or 11 or $12 million to satiate him. That, I think, for a 32-year-old pass rusher who was injured last year and does have spates of the season in which he's less productive after some flurries of productivity, I would be slow to do that.
"Matthew Judon, to me, I believe will play for the Patriots this year. He'll play well for the Patriots this year. And what we're seeing is saber-rattling by a guy who's pretty playful, likes to have a good time, and is saying, 'I don't mind going to San Francisco and having them pay me, it's probably a better team than this one.'
"But in the end, I think he would be happy to stay with this experience because everything he said, including saying, 'I wanna finish my career in New England,' indicates that he likes playing for the Patriots."
Judon recorded a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2021 and 15.5 in 2022. Last season, he played in only four games due to a season-ending elbow injury.
His contract situation will be one of the top storylines at Patriots training camp, which he and his fellow veterans are scheduled to report for on Tuesday. His attendance for the team's first practice on Wednesday will be worth monitoring.
