Matthew Judon exercised his right to skip voluntary Patriots OTAs, but the star edge rusher reportedly will be on the practice field this week.
Judon was among the more noteworthy absences over the last two weeks, though his decision to stay away from Foxboro is understandable given he’s a veteran who’s established himself as a hard-working impact player. The same can’t be said for offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn, whose OTAs absences have sparked a slew of trade rumors.
But like Wynn, Judon is expected to be present this week when the Patriots begin their mandatory minicamp, Mike Giardi of NFL Media reported Monday morning.
“#Patriots edge Matthew Judon is in town and the expectation is that he will be at mandatory mini-camp beginning tomorrow,” Giardi tweeted. “He has stayed away from the voluntary portion of workouts.”
There was nothing indicating Judon, who signed a lucrative contract with the Patriots last offseason, was considering a holdout. So, his decision to report for minicamp shouldn’t come as a surprise. That said, we now might be able to eliminate injuries as a possible explanation for the 29-year-old’s OTAs no-show.
Judon was one of the NFL’s top defensive players for much of last season before fading down the stretch. It’s imperative that he and the Patriots do whatever they can this summer to ensure Judon holds up and plays at a high level for the entire schedule.
