Patriots’ Matthew Judon Sets Record Straight About In-Game Exits

For NFL fans, there are few sights more ominous than a player on your favorite team heading to the locker room while a game is in play.

Matthew Judon, arguably the Patriots’ best player, made sure to put New England supporters at ease Saturday afternoon.

Judon briefly left the Gillette Stadium field during the Patriots’ eventual Week 16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, which likely caused some to think the Pro Bowl pass-rusher was dealing with some sort of injury. But after the Christmas Eve collision, Judon cleared the air about his quick disappearance.

“If you’ve ever seen me go down to the locker room, I have to use the bathroom,” Judon told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. “I’ll be hydrated. And we’ve got a bathroom like right off there.”

A hydrated Judon made one of the biggest plays of Saturday’s game when he stripped star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase of the football late in the fourth quarter, which gave the Patriots an opportunity to stage a game-winning drive. New England gained more than enough ground to score a go-ahead touchdown, but a costly Rhamondre Stevenson fumble saddled the Patriots with their four loss in their last five games.

New England will try to turn the tides on New Year’s Day when it hosts the Miami Dolphins for an all-important AFC East showdown.