Matthew Judon alludes to the end of Patriots tenure in concerning post

Since Eliot Wolf became the Patriots' de facto general manager and was eventually named the executive vice president of player personnel, he has professed his desire to prioritize re-signing and extending the team's best players beyond the 2024 season.

For much of this offseason, he has followed through on that promise and has already signed several players to handsome contracts, many of whom have become the most productive players on the team.

Over the last few weeks, the news of more players remaining with the Patriots has slowed down, but the players that have been extended brought on some concerns regarding Matthew Judon's status in particular.

Despite the applaudable decisions to extend Rhamondre Stevenson and Jahlani Tavai, fans feel it's inexcusable for Wolf not to have reached an agreement to keep Judon on the team past the 2024 season. The pass rusher has made it clear he wants to stay with the team, even stating he would like to retire as a Patriot, and Wolf has said he was prioritizing getting the deal done after the draft.

But no updates have been released as we near training camp, and now Judon's latest update via Twitter is even more concerning, as he alludes to his Patriots tenure potentially nearing its end.

Matthew Judon's tweet could mean bad news is on the horizon for the Patriots

As the most productive member of the Patriots' defense since signing with the team in 2021, keeping Judon past his original contract should be a point of emphasis this offseason. It would have been ideal to have gotten a deal done early on, but now that we're just weeks away from training camp, where Judon could inevitably start a holdout, the situation appears to be getting worse by the day.

It doesn't help when a fan mentions the Patriots need to extend him in a tweet, to which Judon responded by stating he doesn't think it will happen.

This simple reply blew up among New England fans and prompted many responses to keep him on the team for good. He has been the main player they have wanted to see extended this offseason, but they might be waiting for something that won't happen.

Judon fueled speculation further with a follow-up tweet a couple of hours later, posting a gif of SpongeBob saying, "Aight, Imma head out," seemingly referring to his eventual departure.

It could mean nothing since he is known for joking around on social media. However, it could mean exactly what he's saying, which would be an incredibly disappointing development.

Although some might argue that Judon's age and coming off an injury are factors in not re-signing him, the Patriots defense has been their bread and butter for the last several seasons, much of which was led by Judon's production. No one is waiting in the wings capable of taking over in his place or matching what he does, so losing him would be incredibly significant.

Hopefully, that won't be the case, and a deal is near. But Judon isn't helping to create that optimism with his social media activity, that's for sure.

More Patriots coverage: