New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon. Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots' Matthew Judon opens up about 'tantrums' during contract negotiations

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Jun 11, 2024 10:59 AM ET

The New England Patriots' offense has been atrocious in recent seasons, but their defense has, at times, been one of the better units in the NFL.

Since defensive end/linebacker Matthew Judon joined the team ahead of the 2021 season, the group has finished second, 11th and 15th in the league in points allowed per game. Judon has become the unquestioned leader on defense, earning back-to-back Pro Bowl honors in 2021 and 2022 before suffering a season-ending bicep injury after just four games in 2023.

The 31-year-old signed a four-year, $54.5M deal with New England in March 2021. The two sides agreed to a contract adjustment last August, with Judon signing a $3M extension for 2023 that increased the guaranteed portion of salary from $2M to $14M.

He discussed the contract negotiation process on Tuesday.

More from Matt Judon: "It’s like, all right, I could be getting paid a lot more ... or y’all could not know my name, and I could be broke, and I could be living paycheck to paycheck or struggling. ... I’m very blessed to be in this situation. I’m not gonna take it for granted." pic.twitter.com/qzQFq3olc7
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) June 11, 2024

Matthew Judon about his current contract being a discount (to us on @heyrichhey) “Maybe they didn’t know what I was gonna be in four years. Maybe they knew exactly what I was gonna be, and it’s at a discount. That’s just how it happens.”
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) June 11, 2024

Judon also dismissed a question on current contract talk, saying all that mattered was that he was "in the building right now" and he "wasn't mad." Judon added that the two sides weren't "far apart" on talks.

Despite playing in only four contests last year, the former fifth round draft pick still finished third on the team in quarterback hits (nine) and fourth in sacks (4.0).

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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