In addition to suffering the biggest defeat of Bill Belichick's head coaching career Sunday, the New England Patriots may have also lost their best player for the rest of the season.
Patriots outside linebacker Matt Judon will undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a torn biceps tendon, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday, adding that Judon is out "indefinitely" and may miss the remainder of the 2023 campaign.
"He wants to try to come back to play again this year, but there are questions about whether he can or will," Schefter wrote of Judon.
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NFL Network's Tom Pelissero added that Judon is expected to miss "at least two months," which would peg his return for December at the earliest.
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Judon suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 38-3 loss to the Cowboys after engaging with Dallas offensive tackle Chuma Edoga on a pass rush. The lone 2023 Pro Bowler on the Patriots' roster, Judon leads the team with four sacks and nine quarterback hits -- Josh Uche is second with only three -- through four games, and his absence significantly hampers New England's pass rush.
The Patriots also lost one of their top cornerbacks Sunday when rookie Christian Gonzalez suffered what's being reported as a dislocated shoulder. Gonzalez is also out indefinitely, per reports.
Belichick's club will do its best to right the ship next Sunday in a home matchup with the New Orleans Saints, but the losses of Judon and Gonzalez coupled with Sunday's embarrassing result already has the 1-3 Patriots at rock bottom early in the season.