Matthew Judon acknowledges Patriots didn’t need to amend contract
FOXBORO — Outside linebacker Matthew Judon was suddenly a lot more present on the practice field two days after the team agreed to give him a well-earned pay raise for the 2023 season.
Judon joked, “I haven’t been sad yet” since he agreed to terms on an amended contract that will guarantee him $14 million with a chance to earn up to $18 million if he hits all of his incentives. The four-year, $54.5 million contract he signed in 2021 had an $11 million salary with just $2 million guaranteed in 2023.
“Me and the guys upstairs got something done as far as my contract,” Judon said Sunday afternoon after training camp practice. “You guys all know. It’s reported. I’m happy. They’re happy. We shook hands, and now we’re playing football.”
Judon spent most of the first nine sessions of training camp on a lower practice field working on conditioning. He had previously said it was planned that he would start camp working on his conditioning so he could be full-speed ahead for padded practices. The four-time Pro Bowler continued to be limited when the Patriots strapped on pads, however.
The Patriots held a simulated scrimmage Friday night at Gillette Stadium. Judon was not in uniform for that session. In the middle of the practice, it was reported that he and the team had agreed on the new deal.
“I think it represents they kind of want to keep me around here or keep me happy, or just they’re representing that they see what I did and they appreciate it as an organization,” Judon said.
“When you kind of do something that like that — because honestly they didn’t have to. If we’re being quite frank. They didn’t have to. They didn’t have to budge. They could have said you signed it, and this is what you’re going to do. But they helped me out so I can help the team out.”
Judon’s comments made it sound like he would have played this season even if the Patriots hadn’t give him a pay bump.
Players typically don’t fully hold out for new contracts anymore because they’re fined if they don’t report for training camp. There’s a growing trend of players holding “in” and reporting but not participating in practice. Most of Judon’s practice time was spent on the lower practice field, but he was a part of some competitive team drills even before his contract was tweaked.
“Regardless if I would have got something done or not, I’m playing free.” Judon said. “Y’all kind of know me and know how my personality is and how I approach the game and approach the day in and day out.
“So, regardless if I was out here or I was down there running, I was doing it wholeheartedly, and I was doing it happy. It was never forced. Or it wasn’t like — I wasn’t ever thinking about something else. When I’m out here between the white lines, it’s all football.”
Judon’s presence was immediately obvious in practice Sunday. He would have registered multiple sacks in a fully competitive setting. The Patriots were in shorts and shells — not full pads — on Sunday. Their first preseason game is Thursday against the Houston Texans.
Judon left the door open that he might have more limited practice participation in the future. He said the first week-plus of camp kept him in shape while he was working with starting left tackle Trent Brown and “some faster guys to kind of chase them and just keep my conditioning up.”
“We’re still ready for football,” Judon said. “We’re still ready for the game of football. And so if the coaches and the training staff tell me I’m on the lower field that day, that’s what I’m going to do. And if they say I’m up here, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Judon has tallied 28 sacks since signing as an unrestricted free agent in 2021. He’s been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his seasons in New England. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound defender was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Ravens, but he registered just 34.5 sacks in five seasons with Baltimore.
Judon is signed through the 2024 season. His contract might need to be amended again before next season since he didn’t sign an extension as part of this new deal.
Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux came in with Judon as a free agent in 2021, signing a two-year, $15 million contract. Godchaux signed a two-year, $20.8 million extension last summer and is happy to see Judon get rewarded.
“I’m happy to see it. … well-deserving,” Godchaux said. “But I’m sure Judon can elaborate on that more than I can. But I’m happy to see him back out here.”
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/bEjkKOo
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