Matthew Judon often jokes around on his social media accounts, but some cryptic posts this week may suggest some serious questions about the star pass rusher’s future with the Patriots.
The four-time Pro Bowl linebacker is in the final year of his contract with New England, and when a fan posted a tweet in support of Judon’s extension, He replied“Ion thinks that’s going to happen soon.”
The eight-year NFL veteran then posted a GIF of cartoon character SpongeBob Squarepants with the caption, “On my way out now.”
According to NESN:“Judon has been known to be quite the joker on social media, so there’s a good chance his post is meaningful.”
Still, the 31-year-old Judon, who played the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Ravens, agreed last year to a restructure of his four-year, $54.5 million contract he signed with New England for 2021.
He is seeking a raise from the $7.5 million salary he is set to receive in 2024, which comes with a cap hit of $14.7 million, according to Spotrac.
But that doesn’t appear to be a priority for the Patriots’ new front office since replacing longtime head coach Bill Belichick with Jerrod Mayo in January.
Judon played in just four games last season because of a biceps injury, but over the past two years he had a combined 28 sacks, 120 total tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 53 quarterback hits.
If Judon stays with the Patriots through the 2024 season, he’ll rejoin a franchise in transition at the start of the post-Belichick era.
New England drafted Drake Maye out of the University of North Carolina as their quarterback of the future after the team went winless in the postseason under former first-round draft pick Mac Jones.
Judon and the Patriots could be in for a tough season in the AFC East, which features top contenders such as the Bills, Dolphins and Jets.
