(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
After parting ways with legendary head coach Bill Belichick and trading quarterback Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New England Patriots decided that it was time to start from scratch, as they hired Jerod Mayo as their next head coach and brought a potential franchise quarterback in rookie Drake Maye.
With the team preparing for a rebuilding process that could take years for the storied franchise to bounce back in the AFC, the consensus has been that the team wouldn’t be committing to players long-term except for promising young players like Maye.
That said, it was thought that arguably the team’s best player, veteran linebacker Matthew Judon, could be traded, even though he’s looking to sign a lucrative contract extension with the team.
Judon has consistently been a productive player for the Patriots and has made New England formidable amidst a tough time for the franchise, but committing to him on a long-term basis doesn’t seem like something the team wants to do.
According to Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS Media, the issue in negotiations between the Patriots brass and Judon right now is guaranteeing his deal for next year and the year after.
“I don’t think they’re negotiating about 2024. I think they’re negotiating about the guarantee for 2025 and 2026,” Kyles said.
“I don’t think they’re negotiating about 2024. I think they’re negotiating about the guarantee for 2025 and 2026.” @tkyles39 had the one and only @patscap on #PatsDaily to discuss Matthew Judon’s contract!
: https://t.co/hdAxptt4P2
: https://t.co/rAa97ZUgF5
by… pic.twitter.com/xvdWSPXli5
— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) July 19, 2024
Before last season, where he only played four games for the Patriots, Judon had been named to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive seasons and seemed to inherit the mantle as the team’s best player following Tom Brady’s departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite being worth the money and years he wants, the Patriots are trying to figure out their long-term plan, which might not include the veteran linebacker.
The post Insider Reveals What May Be Holding Up Matthew Judon’s Contract Talks appeared first on The Cold Wire.