Patriots Tabbed for Awkward Reunion With Former Defender

The New England Patriots desperately needed to address their pass rush this offseason, as they finished last in the NFL with just 28 sacks in 2024.

It's also important to remember that Christian Barmore is slated to be back on the field for New England in Week 1, and hopefully, he is able to stay healthy.

But do the Pats need to do just a little bit more in order to ensure that their pass rush has been entirely solidified?

Bleacher Report's Kurt Benkert — a former NFL quarterback — thinks that the Patriots may still need to make another move, and he feels they should pursue a reunion with Matthew Judon, who they traded to the Atlanta Falcons last summer due to a contract dispute.

"I think they could use a little more edge help," Benkert said. "Matt Judon got paid a little bit. He can go back on a team-friendly deal. ... [Mike] Vrabel's got the culture back. Matt Judon liked the culture before. ... Bring Matt Judon back to the Patriots."

Judon did not exactly end on good terms with New England last year, so whether or not he would actually want to return to Foxborough remains to be seen. Yes, there is a new head coach now, but the front office regime is still mostly in place. Would Judon be willing to let go of that bad blood?

The 32-year-old registered 41 tackles and 5.5 sacks with the Falcons in 2024. He enjoyed a very impressive three-year run with the Pats between 2021 and 2023, making back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances during those first two years courtesy of racking up 12.5 and 15.5 sacks, respectively.

A torn biceps injury limited Judon — who has made four trips to the Pro Bowl overall — to just four games during his final season with the Patriots.

Considering his market clearly isn't robust at this point, maybe Judon really would consider a reunion with New England, as awkward as it may be.