Wait! Was that a rumor? “The Patriots have made Matthew Judon a new contract offer.” This was reported by Dianna Russini of TheAthletic.com on July 30, 2024. The New England Patriots’ faithful thought that outside linebacker, Matthew Judon, finally received what he wanted – the new contract. Because that’s why he left the field on Monday and didn’t show up on the next day.

However, later it was revealed that this news was just a rumor. Judon claimed, “No they haven’t but it makes me look bad again. Don’t believe the lies.” So, that means, the discussion isn’t over yet between Judon and the Pats. Back to the matter at hand, what transpired during Monday’s practice could land the professional athlete in future trouble, per Mike Florio.

Matthew Judon might not play the entire 2024 season

In a recent episode of his show on NFL on NBC on July 31, 2024, Mike Florio discussed Patriots’ Matthew Judon and his current absence from the practice field. He informed the viewers that Judon was there in the practice field in street clothes, but didn’t participate. However, when he had a “borderline” conversation with new head coach Jerod Mayo, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, and director of player personnel Matt Groh, Judon left the field and didn’t come back on Tuesday.

Now here’s the problem, this action of the OL could lead him to face the Pats’ “nuclear option” approach, wherein he would not be allowed to play the entire season. Florio explained this approach by saying, “If Judon just didn’t show up that’s when the team can consider the nuclear option and this is why I always say for players – it’s far better to never show up than to show up and leave.”

The reason is that, under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the team can send a “five-day letter.” This letter states that if the player doesn’t return within five days, the team can place them on the reserve left squad list. This implies that the player is barred from playing for the entire year, can’t join any team, and won’t get paid as well.

While this decision also impacts the team by losing a valuable player, it hits the player much harder. The player, despite “being healthy and ready,” would miss out on the entire 2024 season. Florio called this measure “the ultimate boss move for a team.” Because of this rule, Matthew Judon is facing a crucial decision-making point in his career.

As he enters the final year of his contract with a $6.5 million base salary, he’s also coming back from a serious bicep injury that ended his previous season early. Thus, it is speculated that he might not return to his elite form. And probably, that’s the reason why the team hasn’t planned anything yet for his contract. So now, it will be interesting to see how this situation plays out. Meanwhile, Judon has hinted at his chances of playing in 2024.

The turmoil in the nautical blue, red, and white squad!

Matthew Judon’s contract drama with the Patriots has reached a boiling point. After a reportedly heated argument with head coach Jerod Mayo, Judon was seen storming off the practice field. That clearly means that something is off in the squad! Then again on Tuesday, he was reportedly missing from the facility, further sparking speculation about his future with the team.

Judon is currently in the final year of his contract and is a valuable player with a strong track record. But the problem is he is also about to be 32 and currently he is bouncing back from an injury. Now that’s a tricky point for both Judon and the Pats. It is because in his previous impressive seasons, Judon “registered 12.5 sacks in 2021 and accumulated a career-high 15.5 sacks in 2022.”

It seems the Pats are choosing to opt for the Cowboys’ approach of testing their players in their last-year contracts. However, for now, it has been reported that Judon would play in 2024 on his current contract, even though he isn’t happy. He expressed, “I mean, if I got to, honestly. That’s again, like I signed a deal. My signature is on it. So I got to play on it. Would I like to? No. Do I think that’s my value? No. But again that’s not up to me.”

But if the Pats decide to trade him off earlier, then potentially there will be four new probable homes for the player. If Matthew Judon is on the move, several teams, such as the Seattle Seahawks, the Atlanta Falcons, the Detroit Lions, and the San Francisco 49ers, could be eager to make a deal. Do you think Judon will stay in the Patriots camp or will he don a different color jersey eventually? Let us know in the comments.