Jerod Mayo's response to Matthew Judon rumor adds more confusion than answers

Despite the lack of movement toward agreeing upon a contract extension, a lot has been going on between the Patriots and Matthew Judon in recent weeks. From the pass rusher pleading for a new deal that would allow him to retire in New England to abruptly leaving practice due to animated conversations with team staff, the saga has been quite a roller coaster this offseason.

It appeared as though things were back on track once Judon returned to practice the following week, looking to be in better spirits and participating in practice. Then came his inclusion in trade talks for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, but once that pursuit fell apart, it looked like the perfect time to negotiate an extension with the linebacker for 2024 and beyond.

Because Eliot Wolf was reportedly willing to spend league-high money in an extension to acquire Aiyuk, there was a thought that maybe saving that money could then be used to keep the team's most dominant defensive weapon around.

But that still hasn't happened as the Patriots prepare for their preseason game against the Eagles on Thursday, and it doesn't appear it's on the docket before the regular season begins.

Then came reports of several teams calling New England about potentially trading for Judon, with the Patriots said to be entertaining the conversations.

With that in mind, reporters questioned Jerod Mayo about the ongoing situation with Judon, hoping the head coach would provide some clarity with an update. Although he technically answered the question, his response was lacking detail and left us with more questions than answers regarding Judon's status with the team.

Jerod Mayo's non-answer to Matthew Judon questions made the situation more confusing

Amid the pursuit for Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne was another player included in the alleged deal the Patriots had on the table with the 49ers. It was a rumor that got back to the team, regardless of its truth or not, to which Mayo revealed he made sure to speak with Bourne about it before a practice last week.

That prompted reporters to ask Mayo if he had a similar conversation with Judon, given the recent speculation about his possible trade, to which the head coach gave a very Belichickian-style answer.

"We don't really operate in rumors like that. You know, the conversations I have with those players are pretty private. What I will say is that Judon's done a great job in the meeting room and done everything that we've asked. He's meeting all the expectations."

While it's great to hear that things are back on track with the team and Judon after it looked like things were falling apart at the seams, Mayo didn't exactly provide much of an answer to the question at hand.

Stating that those kinds of conversations are kept private is fair and sensical, but not when he spoke about a similar discussion he had with another player just one week ago. It makes you wonder if the rumors of the Patriots entertaining the trade inquiries are not accurate, but the inclusion of Bourne in the trade for Aiyuk was. Hence, Mayo had a one-on-one with the Patriots receiver and not with Judon.

Unfortunately, we'll probably never know the answer, but we can agree that the ongoing saga involving Judon would be best to end before the season begins. They certainly don't need any distractions during what will be a difficult season, so handling this as soon as possible would benefit everyone involved.

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