Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon returned to practice Thursday, providing yet another status change in what has been a dizzying training camp.
It's been a dramatic week, but his teammates don't seem to mind.
"I still want to see my brother, Matthew Judon, get his contract," Davon Godchaux
said Thursday, per team-provided video. "We all know it's a business, but he deserves to have a new contract. We're all pulling for him. He's been a relentless pass-rusher for us for the last three years, and we came in together, so I'd love to keep building with him. We just all know this is a business."
Godchaux knows better than perhaps anyone, as his own contract-related beef was only resolved Wednesday. New England's decision on Judon will just have much, much bigger repercussions.
Judon is scheduled to make around $7 million in 2024, a result of the re-worked deal he agreed to last season. It's inarguable that his production matches that of a player who gets paid triple that number, but coming off an injury and with almost zero leverage, the 31-year-old isn't in a great spot to get a new deal.
Do the Patriots have any reason to give into his push for a raise? Yes, his teammates have made it clear they believe he's deserving.
"He's a big energy guy," Christian Gonzalez, his fellow on-field leader, said. "He brings so much energy. It's so fun to have him around, and having him out on that field -- you feel it. He just picks everyone up."
"Judon's been a leader since he's gotten here," Joshua Uche added. "… I just think it's something that's very obvious, if you look around at how (the media) reports on him and how the fans revere him, I think it speaks for itself.
"You definitely want to be appreciated. You definitely want to be respected. You definitely want to be valued. I understand the emotional component behind it. It's something that he has to navigate on his own, and it's something that, at the end of the day, the team and him are going to have to come to some sort of agreement. I understand it."
The Patriots aren't going to rush to get anything done. They don't need to, but given the support Judon has and the role he plays, it might not be a bad idea to come to a resolution that keeps him in New England.
