Trouble: Things Between Matthew Judon and the Patriots are Most Definitely Coming to a Head

If I said it once, I said it a duodecillion times. Which is, for all the geniuses Bill Belichick brought to the throne of the Patriots Dynasty was his ability to take a fire hose to the flames of any controversy. Big or small, he doused them before they were able to burn the castle down. From benign ones like the distraction of having Tim Tebow in camp, to the serious ones with real world implications like having his tight end arrested on a murder charge. And everything in between. In fact most of the time he turned it into a winning issue for his team. Whether it was "We're onto Cincinnati" or any of the various -Gates, he never allowed his players to lose focus on what the ultimate goal was. 

And that is the thing Jerod Mayo is going to have to master if he's going to have any kind of long term success wearing the crown he inherited from the King of Controversies. Being a head coach is tough enough when times are good. When everyone is an oar man in the same boat, pulling in the same direction, it's still a massive challenge. It's when your best players are also your most unhappy that the real heavy lifting happens.

And so it is with Matthew Judon. He's made no effort to hide how dissatisfied he is to find himself in the final year of his contract. Or, importantly, how much he'd like to stay in New England for the rest of his career and build this program back to its former glory. But on the practice field, he's looked anything like a disgruntled man. He comes out early to interact with the fans like you see above. And has done whatever he's been asked to. 

Until today. Until the first day of padded practices. Which he took as an opportunity to let it be known he's very much gruntled. Not putting on his gear. Taking a seat on an upside down trash barrel on the far end of the field. And exchanging some stern, serious-looking words with Mayo. The kind your parents used to have when they'd tell you "We're not fighting; we're having a discussion" so you'd go back to watching Power Rangers.

Here's a still:

And here's a video, which I can't get to embed. After walking away from Mayo, Judon talked to Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh before calling it a day.

This is especially tough when you factor in what Judon has meant to this team in the three seasons since he was signed. He's been nothing short of the Patriots best player over that span. Without question their best pass rusher, with 28 sacks in his first two seasons before getting hurt last year. As well as a guy who made four straight Pro Bowls and was Top 10 in the DPOTY balloting in 2022. 

All of which has to make Judon question why a new regime in Foxboro that has given extensions to practically everyone around him (Kyle Dugger, Christian Barmore, Josh Uche, Jabrill Peppers; pretty much everyone except Judon and Davon Godchaux, who's also pissed off) is drawing the line at him. 

On the other hand, you don't have to be a master negotiator on the level of Jack Donaghy:

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… to figure out what the issues are on the Patriots side. Because they're most likely what they've been since the invention of the written contract: Money and age. 

The money, no one is sure about. Last year he skipped practices before signing a deal that raised his pay to $14 million guaranteed. This year, he stands to make $6.5 million with roster bonuses of $1 million per game. In all likelihood, he's less worried about 2024 than his future beyond it. 

Which is where the age comes in. That we do know, because there are birth records. In two weeks, Judon turns 32. Which would be 25th Amendment time if he was a running back. But is more of "Approaching the 18th tee" for a pass rusher. JJ Watt was 33 when he had 12.5 sacks in his final year for Arizona. Aaron Donald was 32 when he had 8.0 for the Rams before hanging it up last year. So the Patriots reluctance to give Judon more than a short term, incentives based, "earn it" deal probably has nothing to go with their opinion of Judon as a player, teammmate and fan favorite. And everything to do with the actuarial tables. Like it's so often been said, "God promises a tomorrow to no outside linebacker." No matter how much cap space his team has. 

Which brings us to where this is all headed. And I think we can all rule out "a quick resolution that makes all sides happy" right off the top. Either Judon agrees to quit pleading his case on the practice field, stop the theatrics, and play his way into free agency, or they trade him. And it's hard to decide which solution is worse. 

On the one hand, you've got a vocal team leader spending a whole season planning his exit strategy, which sucks. On the other, you're trading from a position of weakness that won't get you much ROI. And will leave a gaping hole on the left side of your front-7 big enough to run a dozen Josh Allens through. 

But this is the business Mayo, Wolf and Groh have chosen. So it's up to them to weather this and find a solution. All the rest of us can do see how it plays out. Just with the benefit of knowing that with or without Judon, a playoff spot is not in our near future. So that at least is comforting. I guess. Anyway, stay tuned for further updates.