Matthew Judon and the New England Patriots never got on the same page this summer, and the result was a trade to the Atlanta Falcons.
After a rocky two weeks that included Judon having animated on-field conversations with head coach Jerod Mayo and executives Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh; skipping out on a training camp practice; and publicly voicing his displeasure with his contract situation; the Patriots dealt their star pass-rusher to the Falcons last Wednesday for a 2025 third-round pick.
Mayo called the trade a win-win for both sides, but how does Judon feel about leaving his NFL home of three-plus seasons?
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"It was tough, but it was something that I think the organization needed to do," Judon told host Kayla Burton in an exclusive interview on NBC Sports Boston's Sports Sunday, as seen in the video player above. "It's a business decision. I told y'all, man, I love the game. It's just the business of it, it is what it is. And sometimes it's tough and sometimes it's not what you want or expect."
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Judon, who is set to make $6.5 million on the final year of his contract, was clear about wanting a new deal in New England. But our Phil Perry reports there was a "sizable gap" between what Judon sought and what the Patriots were willing to pay.
Judon told Burton that he and the Patriots didn't meet in-person this offseason, which he believes would have been beneficial for both sides finding common ground.
"I don't know -- I feel like we just never sat down and really came to the table with me," Judon said. "So I think that's the biggest point. It's like, they kind of didn't know where I was at (and) we kind of didn't know where they were at.
"It was just always through text message or phone calls. We just never sat down and actually talked about it. I think that was the biggest disconnect."
Judon said he requested to have a sit-down with the front office to discuss his contract, but suggested those requests weren't granted.
"For sure I asked, and I sent the those messages through my agents and I asked personally," Judon said. "But that ain't kind of where we left off."
Judon racked up 28 sacks over his first two seasons with the Patriots in 2021 and 2022 while earning back-to-back Pro Bowl nods. He suffered a biceps injury in 2023 that forced him to miss 13 games, however, and it appears the rebuilding Patriots chose a future draft pick over paying up to keep the 32-year-old in New England going forward.
While Judon is excited for a fresh start in Atlanta, he has fond memories of playing for a passionate fanbase in New England.
"Boston is connected in so many ways," Judon added. "They all believe sports; everybody believes sports down there, and I just embraced it. It's a sports town. It's title town.
"So, to all the fans out there that I no longer get to hang out with or you're not going to see me on a day-to-day basis, I appreciate y'all for what y'all did for my career, first and foremost. And then just the encouragement that y'all gave to me when I got injured or when I wasn't playing well, y'all weren't tearing me apart, or when I was playing well, y'all had my back.
"Through thick and thin, I was really embraced in the community and embraced by the community, and I appreciate it."
Check out Judon's full interview with Burton in the YouTube video below.