Anytime a former Patriots player becomes available to sign or trade for, many fans jump on the idea of bringing them back to Foxboro for one reason or another. That was the case recently with LB Matthew Judon, whose stint with the Dolphins ended abruptly, and he eventually signed with the Bills' practice squad.
But before that was made official, Patriots fans wanted to see the red sleeves return, since most disagreed with Jerod Mayo and Co.'s decision to trade him before the 2024 season began.
His production with the Falcons, the team he was traded to, was far from impressive, and that remained the same during his time with the Dolphins, yet there was still a belief he would be exactly what the Bills needed for their defense right before the playoffs.
They attempted to make that happen in their season finale game against the Jets on Sunday by elevating Judon to the 53-man roster, especially with some of their best defenders inactive for the game. But he failed to make an impact on the field, recording no tackles on the day, further proving the Patriots made the right decision not to entertain a reunion.
The Patriots would have made a big mistake if they re-signed Matthew Judon
At the time Judon was released by Miami, the Patriots were dealing with injuries to their defensive line/pass rushers, which made taking a chance on the familiar player more sense.
It would have been a reunion many fans would have loved, mostly for nostalgia, but based on his most recent performance, it looks like the Dolphins were right to move on, and the Patriots were right to avoid the signing.
That has created opportunities for other players to step up and shine in the absence of a player like Harold Landry, including K'Lavon Chaisson, Anfernee Jennings, and Elijah Ponder, which likely wouldn't have happened if Judon were on the team.
And now the Patriots are dealing with a plethora of talent that can help them win in the playoffs, and gives them some tough decisions to make going into the 2026 offseason, which is a nice problem to have that they haven't had the luxury of in quite some time.