The New England Patriots are trading four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.
Per the report, the Falcons are sending a third-round draft pick to New England in return. Judon has been on the trade block amid a contract stalemate and drawn interest from multiple teams, according to reports. Wednesday’s trade resolves the situation in New England as the Falcons add a significant upgrade to their pass rush.
Judon is approaching the final year of a four-year, $54 million contract and is due $6.5 million in salary this season. He briefly held in during Patriots training camp while seeking an extension but has recently participated in Patriots practices.
He’ll presumably want an extension in Atlanta as well. It’s not clear from early reports if the Falcons intend to engage with Judon in negotiations on a new deal.
Judon, 31, made the Pro Bowl in four consecutive seasons from 2019-22. He missed all but four games last season after suffering a biceps injury that required surgery.
In his last healthy season in 2022, Judon tallied 15.5 sacks, 60 tackles (14 for loss), 28 quarterback hits, three passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery as one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the NFL. He tallied six sacks or more in each of his Pro Bowl seasons, including 12.5 in 2021.
Judon projects to inject an immediate upgrade to Atlanta’s defense as the Falcons move into a new era with first-year quarterback Kirk Cousins leading an offense featuring high-upside young skill players Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
The departure of Judon from New England further signals the continued rebuild around rookie first-round quarterback and Drake Maye under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo in a 2024 season that was already weighted with low expectations.
