The New England Patriots have traded four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a third-round draft pick, according to a source who spoke anonymously since the trade hasn’t been officially announced yet.
Judon, who had 28 sacks in his first two seasons with the Patriots, struggled with injuries last year and only managed four sacks in four games.
The trade happened because of a contract disagreement. Judon, who has a base salary of $6.5 million this season, was looking for a new contract. “I signed the deal. My signature’s on it so I got to play on it. Do I think that’s my value? No.
But, again, that’s not up to me,” Judon said last month. “I hope I can continue to play here and be a catalyst to one of the best defenses in the league. If that’s not the case, that’s not the case. It’s hard not to be jealous or envious.
But honestly, I’ve got to focus on myself. As much as everyone would like me to stay around here for a long time, it’s not up to me. I would pay myself a lot of money and be cool with it.”
The Falcons needed a strong pass rusher to strengthen their defense, which hasn’t had a player with double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley had 15 1/2 in 2016.
Judon, who will turn 32 on Thursday, played his first five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, recording 34 1/2 sacks and earning two Pro Bowl selections. He had a standout year with New England in 2022, setting a career-high with 15 1/2 sacks.
The Falcons decided to trade for Judon after losing rookie edge rusher Bralen Trice to a season-ending knee injury in their first preseason game against Miami.
Trice, a third-round pick from the University of Washington, was competing for a starting spot after leading the nation in quarterback pressures for the past two seasons.
Before the injury, Trice was listed as the No. 2 outside linebacker behind Arnold Ebikitie. Now, Judon is expected to take on a key pass-rushing role for the Falcons’ defense.
