The Chicago Bears have addressed almost every roster concern this off-season. GM Ryan Poles deserves credit for that. Quarterback, wide receiver, running back, center, and safety all saw additions in some form or fashion. However, there are only so many resources to go around. Some positions would fall by the wayside. That ended up being edge rusher for the Bears. Despite being a notable need for the team, the stars never quite aligned for them to add somebody of note. Their only prominent addition was 5th round pick Austin Booker in the draft.
At this point, the team has seemingly two options. Either they ride it out with who they have, hoping one of the young guys steps up, or they bring in a veteran free agent. The latter doesn’t present many options. Yannick Ngakoue and Emmanuel Ogbah are the two names mentioned the most. However, there is a small possibility they could look to the trade market. One name that could present an unexpected opportunity is Matthew Judon. The former Pro Bowler is at an impasse with the New England Patriots over his contract. Greg Bedard of the Patriots Podcast provided a notable update.
“What I know is he may be playing nice publicly, and he has. He has said all of the right things. And if you want to believe him, take him at his word, go right ahead. I’m not going to stop you.
“What I can tell you is from the people I’ve talked to, he is not going to play under his current contract — at least for the Patriots. I can’t talk about any place else, that’s my understanding. I don’t know exactly what’s been communicated to the team, but that’s my understanding.”
As of right now, he has one year left on his deal, worth just over $14 million. It is understandable that he wants an extension. However, there are two issues with that. He turns 33 in August, for one. The other is he missed 13 games last season with a torn bicep. New England likely has no desire to give new money to a player who is clearly aging and whose body might be breaking down. Conversely, Judon thinks he more than earned it after posting 32 sacks in his 38 career games with the Patriots.
The obvious challenge is that if the Chicago Bears were to trade for him, they’d inherit the same situation. He doesn’t want to play without a new deal. One way around it would be to rework things to fully guarantee his 2024 season. This way, he’s assured his money in case he gets injured again, while the Bears don’t have to commit to additional years. Both sides can claim victory. If Judon excels, great. If not, the contract isn’t a problem after this season. There is no question a pairing of him and Montez Sweat would be exciting for the Bears, and he’d be another great mentor for Booker.
