Pass rusher Matthew Judon is one of the few studs the New England Patriots had on their roster coming into this season, and since he’s entering the final year of his contract, his future with them wasn’t quite assured.
He wasn’t able to come to an agreement with them on an extension, and thus there have been rumors that he would be traded.
On Thursday afternoon, the Patriots reportedly are finalizing a trade that will ship Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, according to Jordan Schultz.
BREAKING: The #Patriots are close to finalizing a trade that will send 4x Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon to the #Falcons, per multiple sources.
The deal is in the final stages and expected to be finished soon. pic.twitter.com/kB5ztWIjKg
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 14, 2024
Judon had a miserable 2023 season in which he was limited to four games because of a biceps injury, but just the year before that, he had a career-high 15.5 sacks and made his fourth straight Pro Bowl.
Even though he will turn 32 years of age on Aug. 15, he could still help out a Falcons team that is looking to return to true respectability.
Last season, the Falcons went 7-10 as quarterback Desmond Ridder was dismal, and they now have veteran Kirk Cousins starting under center, with rookie Michael Penix Jr. behind him.
They were just 22nd in passing touchdowns and 28th in interceptions forced last season, and Judon could help them improve both rankings.
On offense, Atlanta has two studs in wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson, and they’re likely thinking they could seriously contend for a playoff spot, especially since they play in the NFL’s weakest division.
They haven’t made the playoffs since the 2017 season, a year after they blew a 25-point lead against the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
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