This Tom Brady Battle Marked Matthew Judon’s Role In Patriots Transition

Matthew Judon came to the New England Patriots on a four-year contract worth $56 million as part of a massive spending spree to give the team a competitive chance to win.

An incredible chapter of football history ended for the Patriots after the 2019 season when Tom Brady departed in free agency following 20 legendary seasons. New England could not start the transition in 2020 in a strange COVID-affected season where the team financially reset itself with a less-talented roster.

The 2021 season marked the first of what seemed like a step into a new era for the Patriots. New England replenished the roster with a boatload of spending and drafted a quarterback in the first round in Mac Jones.

It didn't take long that season to witness a crossing of generations in Foxboro.

In Week 4, Brady returned with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fresh off of a Super Bowl LV championship. The game marked a moment for Brady and Patriots fans to thank each other. More importantly, the highly-anticipated regular-season game provided the chance to turn the page and see the new-look New England team rise to an early challenge.

Judon certainly would not be phased by the moment.

"He's the next quarterback we gotta play," Judon shared in the days leading up to the matchup, per NBC Sports Boston. "... I know he was in this building for a long time and what he's done can never be taken away from the game of football and what he did. It's not like what we're afraid of what Tom Brady can do. We have to stop their whole offense."

Judon talked the talk during the week and walked the walk that Sunday night. In a misty battle against the reigning champions, a developing Patriots defense went to work in the chess match between Brady and New England head coach Bill Belichick.

Judon recorded the lone sack of the night for New England as the Patriots held Brady's dynamic offense to just 19 points and without a touchdown pass for the legendary quarterback. Brady had just his second-lowest passer rating of an MVP-worthy 2021 season (Aaron Rodgers took the crown). The Buccaneers ultimately squeaked out the 19-17 win and dropped the Patriots to 1-3, but there was a clear shift in momentum that night that New England could stand up to real competition with its new core.

From there, the Patriots took off. Jones developed into one of the better rookies in the sport on offense while Judon emerged as a true leader in addition to his playmaking on the other side of the ball. The Patriots rattled off seven straight wins and earned a playoff berth.

Judon helped a young core revamp the Patriots and set the team up to build on that success.

Unfortunately for New England, that could not have been more of the opposite over the last two seasons. The Patriots enter another massive rebuild in 2024 that ultimately led to New England dealing a new contract-seeking Judon to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2025 third-round draft selection.

Nonetheless, it's easy to see Judon's impact during his Patriots years. The team needed impact players to ignite a transition and Judon did his best to rise to the occasion.