Matthew Judon shuts down reports of Patriots' contract offer as LB continues holdout
New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon has shut down rumors that he has signed a contract extension. He hasn't been at practice this week, with some questioning whether he is a holdout for a contract or if he was disciplined by the team for his recent outburst at head coach Jerod Mayo.
One thing is for sure, though: Judon has not signed an extension despite recent reports. On Wednesday afternoon, news circulated that Judon and the New England Patriots had agreed to terms on a new deal. Diana Russini was one of the first to report this update; however, Judon quickly came to his own defense.
Judon posted on social media shortly after that he didn't agree to a new contract and that his fans shouldn't believe the lies about him. He also expressed how these types of updates make him look bad.
"No they haven't but it makes me look bad again. Don't believe the lies."
Judon is signed to a four-year, $56 million contract that he signed in March 2021. He and the team have been trying to agree on a reworked deal that would increase his salary.
Matthew Judon doesn't want to be the 'villain' in contract negotiations
Matthew Judon has been vocal about his desire to agree to terms on a reworked contract. During a recent appearance on the "Shut up Marc" podcast, the linebacker said the Patriots have plenty of salary-cap space to come up with a deal. He also didn't want to be seen as the "villain" in the situation because he wasn't signed.
Judon is set to make $14.6 million, and while he is the highest-paid player on the New England Patriots, it's a different situation at his position. Judon is ranked 17th among all linebackers for average annual salary.
“I don’t want to be the villain, I don’t want to be the bad guy. But it’s like shoot bro, help me out, we got the most cap in the league right now," Judon said.
The linebacker also noted that he wrote his own contract out and presented it to the New England Patriots, but they haven't responded. Earlier this week, Judon was seen having an animated conversation with head coach Jerod Mayo during practice.
Judon walked off the practice field — he later returned and was speaking with different members of the Patriots front office. He hasn't returned to practice since that encounter earlier this week.