Perry: Judon not at Patriots practice facility amid contract dispute originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
Matthew Judon’s situation appears to be escalating.
The New England Patriots outside linebacker did not participate in Tuesday’s training camp practice and our Phil Perry reports Judon wasn’t even at the team’s Foxboro facility.
Judon is seeking a new contract with the Patriots as he enters the final year of his contract earning $6.5 million in base salary, and Perry reports there is a “considerable gap” between what Judon wants and what New England gives him. offered.
Matthew Judon is not training with the team at the moment and I am told he is not at the facility today.
Considerable gap between what Judon is looking for and what the Patriots have been offering. Ballooning of the marginal market. Judon, who is coming off a biceps injury, has 32 sacks in the last 38 games.
-Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) July 30, 2024
Judon was present at Monday’s practice but did not participate, watching the team practice at the start of the session while sitting on an overturned trash can. The 31-year-old had “lively” discussions with head coach Jerod Mayo, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh before leaving the field early.
Judon recently told Marc Lewis Shut up Marc podcast he wrote his own contract terms and sent them to the New England front office, and the team has yet to respond. He also expressed his frustration with the “business of football” and called on the Patriots to give him a new contract.
“I don’t want to be the bad guy. I don’t want to be the bad guy. But it’s like – shoot, man. Like, help me,” Judon told Lewis. “You got the biggest cap (space) in the league right now, bro. And with that, they don’t even get the money. So what the hell are y’all doing with it? Like, you’re all literally just not using it.”
New England currently has the second-highest salary cap in the NFL at approximately $43.5 million, according to Over the Capand already have distributed new deals to multiple players this offseason. But the Patriots may be wary of paying for Judon after he missed 13 games last season with a biceps injury.
It appears Judon intends to make life difficult for the Patriots until he gets a new contract.
