New England Patriots and Edge Rusher Matthew Judon Ink New Deal

The hold-in is over. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, edge rusher Matthew Judon and the New England Patriots have come to terms on an adjusted contract that will increase the four-time Pro Bowler's guaranteed money in 2023 from $2 million all the way to $14 million.

Sources: Four-time Pro-Bowl DE Matthew Judon and the Patriots reached agreement on a contract adjustment that will take his original $2 million gtd for 2023 to $14 million fully gtd in 2023. The adjustment improved the original 2021 deal and will allow Judon to make up to $18M… pic.twitter.com/osSrFe04P4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2023

Judon was present at training camp but declined to practice as he pursued a new deal, a gentler version of a holdout colloquially known as a hold-in.

Judon has been an absolute bargain since signing with the Patriots on a four-year, $54.5 million in 2021, so he was due for a raise. The former Baltimore Raven has been arguably the Patriots' best defensive player of the post-Tom Brady era, posting 12.5 sacks or more in consecutive seasons and even earning AP Defensive Player of the Year votes in 2023.

No new years were added to his deal, so Judon's still set to become a free agent following the 2024 season. Despite his status as a respected leader, he may struggle to land an extension with the Patriots no matter how well he plays: he'll be 33 before the start of the 2025 season, and the Patriots are notoriously reluctant to hand out lucrative deals to ageing veterans. Judon did well to increase his earnings while he could.