It has been quite some time since Matt Judon has seen some action in the training camp for the New England Patriots this offseason so far. With the dispute prolonged up to the early games of the preseason, the Pats have opted to pull off a trade card instead, sending the linebacker to the Atlanta Falcons heading into the 2024 season.

At the age of 32, Judon definitely deserves some kind of appraisal from the Patriots after a good season in the 20233 campaign. He was set to make $6.5 million in his final year with the Pats before he reached out to come up with contract talks throughout the course of the offseason. However, no progress was reported over the past few months and thus led to the stalemate.

Instead, Judon is now heading south to play for the Falcons. There are many critics who said that the Pats did not handle this situation well, and it cannot be denied that Judon could have been an impressive linebacker for New England if he was utilized well in the lineup. Now he is bringing his talents to another rival contender where he can come up with a closing run in his career.

A Stalemate Led to Nothing

Judon protested and did not show up for the Patriots’ training camp after he continued to protest his desire to remain with the team but get at least a new extension heading into the 2024 season. The linebacker played just four games in the 2023 season after suffering a bicep tear. That was one of the major reasons why the Patriots considered not to extend his contract back then.

Still, Judon had four sacks, posting 66.5 sacks in his eight-season run with the Baltimore Ravens and Patriots. He even posted 14 sacks per season in 2021 and 2022, but his protest and refusal to play in the training camp began when the Patriots handed out a lot of hefty extensions, but not to him.

Not signing Judon, however, leaves New England with at least $45 million in salary cap space, meaning that they can still make moves if needed. The Pats have signed the likes of safety Kyle Dugger, safety Jabrill Peppers, running back Rhamondre Stevenson, defensive lineman Christian Barmore, and offensive tackle Mike Onwenu, among others, to extensions this offseason.

What’s Next for the Patriots and Judon?

Without Judon, the Patriots are clearly on the fence about contending so far. They will still have to figure out which players they can count on at this point, with the likes of Anfernee Jennings, Josh Uche, Raekwon McMillan, and others set to step up in the coming season.

Judon, on the other hand, takes his talents to a team that is already in win-now mode. This certainly comes as a massive shift to the team’s chances considering that they have already shelved rookie edge Bralen Trice on injury reserve heading into the season. The Falcons have already made some big strides in the previous season, and now key additions have further strengthened their chances at this point.

The Falcons have signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to lead the offensive unit to begin the offseason. The additions of defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, safety Jessie Bates, and cornerback AJ Terrell have all been quite a massive move, and capping it off with Judon seems to lock up Atlanta’s defensive pillar now more than ever.