Patriots News: Bill Belichick, Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, and Caleb Williams

Questions arise regarding Matthew Judon's potential return this season

It was an absolute gut punch earlier in the season when Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon went down with significant injuries in the same game, with their availabilities for the rest of the year coming into question for the following few days.

Unfortunately, the rookie cornerback suffered a season-ending injury, a heartbreaking development for the Defensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner, while Judon's status remained a bit clearer. Reports indicated there was a sliver of hope the latest franchise record-breaker had a chance to return later in the year; the only positive news coming out of an otherwise disappointing season.

Despite the good news about Judon's possibly impending return, some have begun to question the likelihood of it happening since the Patriots currently sit with a 2-8 record as they enter their bye week.

Could it deter him from wanting to get back on the field? According to Bill Belichick, who was asked that very question, the answer is no.

Other than Belichick having a definitive response to make you believe it's true, seeing Judon constantly on the sidelines for his teammates during rehab provides even more belief that he would return whenever he can.

It seems unlikely that a guy who would rather remain on injured reserve than get back into the lineup would willingly show up on game day to support his team.

If the initial reports were correct about the timeline of his potential return, Judon could be making his comeback as soon as next month. It may not mean much in the big scheme of things, as the Patriots are essentially out of any post-season conversation already; his production and leadership will be valuable for a team not used to playing so poorly.