After showing his discontent with the New England Patriots, Matthew Judon now has a new home. The four-time Pro-Bowler was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. With New England going into a full rebuild and the pass-rusher unhappy with his current situation, it made sense to trade him for an asset that will assist in getting the team back to relevancy. As for Atlanta, they now have a legitimate pass-rusher, something they have lacked for years. Judon is entering the final year of his current contract and is due $6.5 million in salary this year. All in all, this deal seems like it will help both sides.
Atlanta Falcons Acquire Matthew Judon For Third-Round Draft Pick
Matthew Judon’s Impact
Judon is one of the premier pass-rushers in the league when healthy. Last season, he was sidelined most of the year with a torn bicep. However, Judon really showed his value with a career year in 2022 logging 15.5 sacks. As for his career numbers, he has recorded 66.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles, 14 passes defended, 369 combined tackles, and 87 tackles for a loss.
During his tenure with the New England Patriots, Judon logged numbers of 32 sacks, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, 133 combined tackles, and 33 tackles for a loss. Not bad for a three-year tenure. While Matthew Judon is now 32 years old, he clearly still has some gas left in the proverbial tank. His timeline simply did not correlate with the rebuilding New England Patriots. With the Atlanta Falcons, he will now have a better chance at competing for a possible playoff spot, especially in the weaker NFC.
His Fit With the Atlanta Falcons
There are already reports that the Falcons and Judon intend to have talks about a possible contract extension. He will have an immediate impact for a Falcons defense that has lacked a premier pass rusher for some time now. The Falcons are coming into the new campaign looking revived on paper as they usher in the Kirk Cousins era at quarterback. With plenty of young talent on the roster, Judon will serve as a reliable veteran not only in the locker room, but also be a solid edge rusher on the defense. The door is wide open for him to become the leader of this defensive unit and net himself another career year. Considering all of this, the Atlanta Falcons should be excited about their latest addition.
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