What Matthew Judon Told Patriots Before Trade To Falcons

It didn’t take a football expert to figure out what was going on between Matthew Judon and the Patriots a few weeks ago.

Judon had a public dustup with head coach Jerod Mayo at the outset of New England’s training camp and proceeded to take a few days away from the team. It was easy to pinpoint the source of Judon’s ire: an expiring contract that’s set to pay him only $6.5 million in base salary this season.

The Patriots addressed the issue by trading the veteran pass-rusher to the Atlanta Falcons last week. With Judon no longer in Foxboro, Mass., Eliot Wolf on Sunday was able to speak a bit more freely about what went down, including a note about Judon’s frustration before the blockbuster.

“Teams had been calling to check in,” Wolf told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. “He had voiced a little bit of displeasure with his contract at different times. So, whenever that happens, teams always check in on players. So, it’s just kind of something that came to fruition there at the end.”

Judon and the Patriots appeared to end their relationship as amicably as possible. The four-time Pro Bowl selection was fully back in the mix with New England before the trade and Wolf and company reportedly let Judon pick his destination once the finalists were determined.

The outcome very well might be a win for all parties involved. Judon can enjoy a fresh start with a team that’s clearly going for it this season, while the rebuilding Patriots added a high-level asset that brightened their future a bit more.