Advertisement

Matthew Judon explained what went wrong with the Patriots before his trade to the Falcons

Aug 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Matthew Judon stands on the field before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Matthew Judon stands on the field before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Over the past week, the Atlanta Falcons have bolstered their defense more than any team in football -- particularly this late in training camp. They added two All-Pros in Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons.

With Judon, his departure from New England seemed inevitable after hearing how the Patriots handled his contract situation this offseason.

Speaking to NBC Sports Boston, the former Patriots pass rusher broke down what went wrong that led to his eventual trade to Atlanta. Judon went into the offseason hoping for a pay raise as he was set to make $6.5 million this season. But the lack of communication from the Patriots front office sent a discouraging message to Judon, who turned 32 last week.

He said:

"We just never sat down and really came to the table ... I think that's the biggest point. They didn't know where I was at. We kind of didn't know where they were at. It was just always through text messages and phone calls. We just never sat down and actually talked about it. I think that was the biggest disconnect."

Judon added that he wanted to have an in-person discussion with the Patriots brass -- and let them know it too -- but those meetings never took place.

More NFL!

Tua Tagovailoa ripped ex-Dolphins coach Brian Flores while answering a Mike McDaniel comparison question

2024 fantasy football defense rankings, from the top D (Cowboys) to sleepers (Saints)

Reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson is a rare sleeper to win again thanks to oddly long odds

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Matthew Judon explained what went wrong with the Patriots before his trade to the Falcons