Not many of the New England Patriots' free agent signings from the 2021 offseason worked out, but the addition of Matthew Judon has been a home run for Bill Belichick's team so far.
Judon signed a four-year, $54.5 million contract, and he has been very productive over the first two seasons of the deal. He tallied a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2021, then followed that up with 15.5 sacks (tied for fourth-most in the league) last season.
Judon's contract became a storyline early in camp this past week.
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Our Patriots insider Phil Perry reported Friday that "while Judon and the team maintain an amicable relationship, he’d like his contract adjusted." Perry also noted that the AAV (annual adjusted value) of Judon's deal ranks 20th among edge rushers.
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Where do things currently stand between Judon and the Patriots regarding his contract?
"The sides have had an open dialogue recently, according to sources," ESPN's Mike Reiss reported Sunday morning. "The one-year extension signed by Cincinnati Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson, which added $5 million to his 2023 pay, seems relevant to the ongoing conversations."
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Salary cap expert Miguel Benzan provided more context on Hendrickson's situation in the following quote tweet:
Judon met with reporters Friday afternoon and wasn't willing to talk about his contract situation. He did reiterate that he's happy in New England.
“I’m happy to be here, man. I’m definitely not going to talk about contracts with y’all. Y’all some snitches,” Judon said. “But, I’m happy that I’m here. I’m happy that I’m a Patriot. And then wherever that goes, it goes. The market changes every day. We saw it the first day of training camp, a whole bunch of people got paid. The market changes every day. But I would not talk about contract with you all.”
Judon is currently signed through 2024. He will turn 31 on Aug. 15.
Given the importance of quality pass rushers in today's NFL, it would make sense to give Judon some sort of pay bump, especially when the Patriots have an abundance of salary cap space.