Matthew Judon, a four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher, was traded by the New England Patriots to the Atlanta Falcons. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network first broke the story, which the Falcons confirmed on Thursday morning.
In exchange, New England will receive a 2025 third-round selection pick from the Falcons. Due to a deadlock in his contract, Judon has been available for trade. Several teams expressed interest in him, the media reported. With Wednesday’s deal, the Falcons’ pass rush is significantly improved and the situation in New England is resolved.
Judon has a four-year contract of $54 million that is about to expire, and this season, he will make $6.5 million. While he was requesting an extension, he temporarily withdrew during Patriots training camp, but he has since resumed practicing with the team.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Falcons and Judon planned to negotiate an extension at the time of the agreement, even though Judon didn’t have a new contract in place.
Judon, 31, was selected to the Pro Bowl four times in a row between 2019 and 22. Last season, he had surgery to treat a biceps ailment that kept him out of all but four games.
One of the NFL’s most disruptive pass rushers, Judon recorded 15.5 sacks, 60 tackles (14 for loss), 28 quarterback hits, three passes defended, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in his final healthy season in 2022. In every Pro Bowl season he played in, he recorded six sacks or more, with 12.5 in 2021.
As the Falcons enter a new era with rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins heading an offense with high-upside young skill players Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, Judon is expected to provide an instant improvement to Atlanta’s defense.
Judon’s departure from New England further indicates that, in a 2024 season already laden with low expectations, the rebuild will center upon rookie quarterback Drake Maye, selected in the first round, under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo.