Trading Matthew Judon may be the best move for the Patriots

Matthew Judon has been entertaining, stellar, and a fan favorite during his three seasons with the New England Patriots. Entering his final year with the team, Judon is seeking a contract extension that would put him among the best pass rushers in the NFL.

He is set to make $6.5 million in 2024 but has not gone about getting a new contract the right way, voicing his frustration on the first day of training camp.

With the Patriots entering a new era under head coach Jerod Mayo, the team is at a crossroads with a key player. The 31-year-old linebacker is not getting any younger, and giving him a potentially huge contract is a risk. The best move for the Patriots is to trade Judon and fully embrace a youth movement.

The Patriots are trying to build a culture, and with that comes determining who your key franchise pillars are. This offseason, the Patriots rewarded multiple young players with extensions, most notably Mike Onwenu, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Christian Barmore.

It’s clear that the Patriots' focus is to retain their young talent and build a winning core for the future. Ultimately, that makes someone like Judon the odd man out.

Judon has been unhappy with the Patriot's treatment of him, leading to cryptic social media posts. One post that sent Patriots fans into a frenzy was when Judon retweeted a trade involving him for Brandon Aiyuk. Although Judon said that he doesn’t run his X/Twitter account, it’s a bad look to have your page highlight your unhappiness or potential trades that you could be involved in.

He also voiced how it's tough to see other players get paid around the league and how his contract doesn’t reflect his value.

Although Judon's comments do not aim to derail any other players, they are a distraction for the Patriots. It’s not a great look for the first year of the Mayo era to have a key player unhappy with his contract. The Patriots need to handle the situation and pay him or trade him. 

Trading the pass rusher is the best possible outcome because he does not fit their timeline. The Patriots are a few years away from contention and are taking a slow approach with young players. Trading Judon to a contender would do right by him and allow him to seek one final massive payday. It would also allow the Patriots to get an asset for him and fully embrace their young player movement with players like Barmore and Kyle Dugger. 

It’s decision time for the Patriots and it's one that could have a major impact on the 2024 season.

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