The New England Patriots and star pass rusher Matthew Judon have yet to come to an agreement regarding a new contract which should be viewed as a step back for the organization.
According to Fox Sports' Henry McKenna, Judon has requested a new deal and while the Patriots have sent an offer to the star, the two sides “are not currently close to agreeing to a new deal.”
Judon has been a star for the Patriots ever since signing for them back in 2021. In 114 games played, the 31-year-old has amassed 133 total tackles, 32 sacks and 33 tackles for loss.
With Bill Belichick no longer at the helm, it seemed like the days of New England stiffing Lawyer Milloy, Asante Samuel and many more had ended. With the Patriots letting stars walk when they were done taking team-friendly deals, New England had gained a reputation for having no loyalty to players.
This offseason, the Patriots seemed to be reversing course with Jerod Mayo as head coach and Eliot Wolf heading the front office. Kendrick Bourne, Christian Barmore, David Andrews and Jahlani Tavai were all retained by New England.
The signing of a player like Andrews stands out, as an aging veteran such as himself likely would have ended his career elsewhere if Belichick was still in charge. While Andrews is making a "measly" $12M that could rise to $13M with incentives, the penny-pinching Patriots of the past would have probably let him walk.
So New England should find a way to bring back Judon. While the pass-rusher struggled to stay healthy in 2023 — only playing four games — Judon has historically been a top defender for the Patriots.
If Judon ends up leaving New England it would show that the organization is falling back into bad habits, and without a legendary coach in Belichick, the Patriots can't afford to do so.
