Matthew Judon is back on his recruiting game. His target this time: Superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
The New England Patriots’ Pro Bowl pass rusher made his pitch to Donald on social media, replying to a Twitter thread about the possibility of the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year finishing his career with a team other than the Los Angeles Rams.
“Aye ain’t nobody wearing 99 in New England,” Judon tweeted, referring to Donald’s jersey number. “Just saying.”
Donald is one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history. He’s been voted to nine consecutive Pro Bowls and just had his streak of seven straight first-team All-Pro selections snapped this season. He’ll be a surefire Hall of Famer once he retires, and the Patriots surely would love to have him as the centerpiece of their defensive line.
The odds of that happening this offseason are slim, as Donald still has two years left on his massive three-year, $95 million contract. But with the Rams staring at a possible rebuild after a miserable 5-12 season, there have been rumblings about a possible Donald trade, with former teammate Chris Long saying this week that the 31-year-old deserves to play for a team that can contend in 2023.
“I would love to see him on the move,” Long said on “The Season With Peter Schrager.”
Donald, who confirmed he does not plan to retire this offseason, reportedly has a no-trade clause, so he’d need to sign off on any theoretical deal. And he might not have any interest in joining the Patriots after they finished below .500 and missed the playoffs this season.
But none of that stopped Judon — a frequent Patriots recruiter last offseason — from making his pitch.
