FOXBORO, Massachusetts — Coach Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots downplayed the drama surrounding the team’s star pass rusher, Matthew Judon, and his desire for a new contract, three days after their heated on-field debate ended with Judon fleeing the practice field and two days after Judon was not there at all.
Mayo stated that he would rather not discuss the specific dynamics, but he did say that the two had a fruitful discussion and that he was optimistic about Judon’s future engagement. Judon made his way back to practice on Thursday after the team’s absence on Wednesday.
With 32 sacks in 38 games during his tenure with the Pats, Judon has been one of the top free-agent pickups for the team in the past ten years. However, he has no further guaranteed money as he approaches the end of his four-year deal with the Pats. In a press conference last week, he voiced his dissatisfaction and jealousy at seeing the Patriots extend contracts to or re-sign 12 other players but failing to reach an agreement with Judon, who has been their best player for the past three years.
Still, the team was glad to have Judon present during practice on Thursday. Although it is unknown if Judon will be around for the long haul in the Patriots’ rebuild, he remains a vital component of what should be a very strong defense, one that they hope will help them get beyond some anticipated offensive setbacks. The Patriots found out earlier this week that Christian Barmore is sidelined indefinitely with blood clots; if they were forced to play without Barmore and Judon, their pass rush would suffer greatly.
Judon pushed for the addition of Mayo, a first-year coach who has been far more understanding toward the team’s players than his predecessor. However, that was put to the test this week when Judon’s resentment flared up and resulted in two sessions being missed. This was a dramatic change from how Bill Belichick handled comparable circumstances in previous years.
“We had a conversation,” Mayo said. “I have a great relationship with Matthew. I have a great relationship with the players, and now we’re moving forward.”
(Photo: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)
