Matthew Judon got here to New England as certainly one of a number of gamers that began a brand new chapter for the Patriots getting into the 2021 season.
An all-time period clearly got here to an finish when Tom Brady departed from the franchise after the 2019 season. The 2020 marketing campaign shortly grew to become a wash between the problems of the COVID-19 pandemic and Invoice Belichick self-admittedly resetting the roster financially.
That marked the 2021 season because the true kickoff of the post-Brady period. New England chosen Mac Jones within the first spherical of the NFL draft to guide the staff ahead at quarterback after beating out Cam Newton for the beginning job.
Judon took the sphere as certainly one of quite a few new abilities after an unprecedented offseason of spending. Regardless of a 1-3 begin, the new-look squad in Foxboro shortly caught hearth and set the tone to revive some profitable at Gillette Stadium.
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New England sparked for a stretch of seven consecutive wins and Judon blossomed because the star cross rusher the Patriots had lacked for years. He recorded 12.5 sacks and have become a game-wrecker briefly order.
Sadly, that momentum completely light down the stretch. After an thrilling win by the wind in Buffalo over the Payments to regulate the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Patriots stumbled to the end. New England went 1-3 in its remaining 4 video games, relinquished the division to Buffalo and Judon didn’t document a quarterback hit in that stretch.
The Patriots finally suffered a 47-17 blowout loss within the AFC Wild Card spherical to shut out an odd trilogy with the Payments. Judon had only one sort out and one quarterback hit whereas strolling again to the sideline after restricted sequences all through the evening with simply 22 defensive snaps on the evening.
Nonetheless, the season appeared like the beginning of an intriguing construct. Jones performed nicely as a rookie and Judon gave the impression to be a pacesetter with the prospect to take one other step ahead in 2022.
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He did take that step. The Patriots didn’t.
Judon tallied 15.5 sacks for the Patriots in 2022 with one other step ahead as one of many elite defenders and rose up alongside an rising Josh Uche. On the opposite aspect of the ball, New England didn’t assist its trigger when Jones’ misplaced all progress below the unqualified offensive steering of Matt Patricia and Joe Decide. New England fell one recreation wanting the postseason, nearly losing an unbelievable yr of manufacturing.
In 2023, the season was principally over earlier than it began. A fast glimmer of positivity got here in a Week 3 win on the street in opposition to the New York Jets with Judon forcing a security to seal the victory. The next week in Dallas, Judon tore his bicep, the Patriots misplaced by 35 factors and the season fell off the tracks.
Judon and the Patriots as soon as held palpable promise with one another. That could not have been extra of the alternative getting into this yr’s coaching camp. New England, led by first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, begins a complete rebuild and Judon clearly wasn’t proud of the cash remaining in his contract yr.
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At completely different factors with modified expectations, the Patriots ended the tenure and traded Judon to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday for a 2025 third-round choose.
New England and its elite cross rusher as soon as appeared able to soar into an improved interval. As a substitute, neither aspect may assist the opposite within the moments that mattered most, leaving disappointment as a darkish cloud over that tenure regardless of Judon’s rise as an apparent fan-favorite and impression participant for the Patriots.
