The New England Patriots have been at the center of several trade discussions over the past few weeks. Of course, they were one of the teams that was trying to acquire disgruntled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. However, their contract extension offer to him was turned down despite the reported fact that it would have paid him $32 million a season.
Apparently, Aiyuk had concerns regarding New England’s quarterback situation.
A couple of weeks ago, the Patriots traded a disgruntled star of their own, sending four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon to Atlanta Falcons.
At the time of the trade, head coach Jerod Mayo said, “You guys know how I feel about Judon, and obviously he’s moving on. I felt like it’s a win-win for both parties, and I wish him nothing but the best. I always tell the guys these are long-term relationships, and nothing’s changed.”
According to one NFL insider, though, things were not great between Judon and many people in the building.
NFL Insider Reveals the New England Patriots Were “Sick of” Matthew Judon
During an appearance on NBC Sports Boston, NFL insider Albert Breer revealed some interesting information on the degraded relationship between Judon and the Patriots’ leadership.
“There was a little bit more to the Judon trade than just the contract situation.” @AlbertBreer gives insight into the Matthew Judon trade, and why in the end the Patriots were ‘just sick of him.’ pic.twitter.com/UBX1BAA0eI
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) August 23, 2024
“Judon was not as well-liked by the coaches and front-office people as you might have thought,” Breer said. “That was really part of it at the end, was that they were just sick of him. They felt like there was the public-facing Judon and the Judon behind the scenes. Judon behind the scenes had become a little bit of an operator and his act had worn thing with people inside the building.”
After the 2023 season that saw New England finish 4-13, Mayo and Eliot Wolf made it their mission to change the culture of the team, banishing any and all toxic influences in their locker room.
It appears that moving on from Judon was just another part of that process.
Matthew Judon Had a Personally Successful Run with the New England Patriots
Judon signed with the Patriots in 2021 after making two consecutive Pro Bowl appearances with the Baltimore Ravens. In his first season with New England, Judon had a career-high 12.5 sacks and 60 tackles.
He was even better in 2022, racking up a new career-high 15.5 sacks while recording 60 more tackles. However, he played in just four games last season due to a torn bicep.
Judon was holding out for a new contract because he is entering the final year of his deal, a season that has no guaranteed money.
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