Patriots now have a point to make by extending Matthew Judon

Now that the Patriots' pursuit of Brandon Aiyuk is apparently over, there is a new contract extension they should turn their focus to: Matthew Judon. Despite being the player most assumed would receive the first new contract this offseason, he has fallen down the priority list and is heading into the team's first preseason game still on the outside looking in.

Dramatic scenes at training camp last week prompted Judon to skip the remainder of practices, so he returned on Monday and answered questions about his status.

Although he didn't provide much of an update, taking a page out of Bill Belichick's book, he made it clear he is not exactly happy with the lack of negotiations between his agent and the Patriots. He repeated his desire to remain in New England, stating again that he would ideally like to retire there, but emphasized that it's out of his hands now and that the decision is not his to make.

Given Eliot Wolf's involvement in pursuing Aiyuk this week, reportedly offering around $32 million a year on a four-year extension for the receiver, it's possible that was a reason for the holdup in getting a new deal done for Judon.

Now that they've backed out, it would be wise to finally address the biggest elephant in the room: the continued uncertainty surrounding their best defensive player since Chandler Jones.

The time is now for the Patriots to get an extension done with Matthew Judon

With the desire to add a top-tier wide receiver seemingly out of the picture heading into the preseason, the Patriots still have a lot of cap space to spend, and extending perhaps their best defensive player in years would be the best way to do it.

When you look at all that Judon has accomplished since signing with New England in 2021, which has already put him in the top-10 all-time for sacks in team history, it's hard to argue why Wolf has been so reluctant in offering him a new contract.

While it's possible he's demanding an egregious amount of money, which hasn't been reported, it seems that Judon has done enough to earn a higher salary than he's currently making, not just because of how good he has been throughout his career but also because of how crucial he has been to the Patriots' defensive success over the last three years.

He made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2021 and 2022, ending both seasons with double-digit sacks, and before he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 last year, he was on pace to have the best statistical season of his career.

His importance to the defense was on full display during his absence, and although there's hope for great output from guys like Joshua Uche and Keion White, they're not proven in the way Judon is.

On top of that, it's looking like Christian Barmore, who led the team in sacks last year after Judon was injured, will miss most of, if not the entire 2024 season, so his importance in maintaining a dominant defense this year and next is even more apparent.

The perfect way to head into the weekend would be to get a contract sorted out with Judon and finally put the drama to rest. It has been a distraction all offseason and will continue until a deal is done or they ultimately trade him.

It's time for Wolf to prove he is willing to pay players who have significantly contributed to the team's success and will reward them with new contracts, just as he has with a long list of others. If he decides not to do that with Judon, it might send the wrong message to the locker room, which is not a great move considering the position the Patriots are in.

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