Former Patriots Pro Bowl Pass Rusher Reportedly Gets Released By Dolphins

The New England Patriots are preparing for an important Week 16 contest against the Baltimore Ravens, but one of their final three regular-season opponents, the Miami Dolphins, made several eye-catching moves on Wednesday morning that will certainly get the Pats’ attention.

The most noteworthy of the bunch resulted in the team’s supposed franchise quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, getting benched in favor of seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers. That wasn’t the only big move, though, as former Patriots’ Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon‘s time with the team appears to have come to an end.

In his first season with the Dolphins, Judon was used as a situational pass rusher, but he failed to make much of an impact over his 13 games on the field, as he racked up just 19 tackles, one pass deflection, and perhaps most importantly, zero sacks. With Miami eliminated from playoff contention, the team opted to release the veteran defender.

“The Dolphins are releasing veteran pass rusher Matt Judon, sources tell The Insiders,” Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported in a post on X. “Judon appeared in 13 games this season for Miami and could be an option for playoff teams looking for a veteran presence.

Judon spent three seasons with New England, racking up 32 sacks over 38 games with the team. Since getting traded ahead of the 2024 season, Judon has struggled to find his way, as he failed to make much of an impact for Miami this year.

Now that he’s set to hit the open market, though, Judon could latch on with a playoff contender and look to provide a spark on defense. With that in mind, could a reunion between Judon and the Patriots be in the cards? That will certainly be a storyline worth monitoring over the next few days as the team continues its Week 16 preparations.