The former Patriots edge rusher is off to the NFC South.
The Seattle Seahawks are scheduled to face star pass rusher Matthew Judon this season, just a little later than initially expected.
With a year remaining on his four-year, $56 million contract, Judon has been dealt by the New England Patriots to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2025 third-round pick. The Seahawks are at the Patriots in Week 2 and at the Falcons in Week 7.
Judon, who turns 32 on Thursday, missed most of 2023 with a torn bicep suffered in October against the Dallas Cowboys. His previous two seasons in New England saw him record a combined 28 sacks over 34 games, making him one of the catalysts for what has quietly been one of the better defenses in the NFL. However, the former Baltimore Raven has been seeking a contract extension, and with no deal in sight, getting traded was always a distinct possibility.
The Falcons were in need of a pass rusher, even more so after the season-ending knee injury to third-round rookie and former Washington Huskies star Bralen Trice. Atlanta has had one of the worst pass rushes over the past few seasons, including a comically low 21 sacks in 2022 and 18 in 2021. Atlanta’s last player with a 10+ sack season was Vic Beasley in 2016.
With regards to the Seahawks’ road opener against New England, Jerod Mayo’s defensive front looks very different now. Star defensive tackle Christian Barmore is out indefinitely after a blood clot diagnosis in training camp, while Judon is now off to Atlanta. The Patriots projected to be one of the better defenses in the NFL, and while they should still be at least respectable given the strength of their secondary, they are less formidable (in theory) without those two.
For what it’s worth, of the teams mentioned as interested in Judon’s services, the Seahawks were not among them. Mike Macdonald has past ties to Judon, who began his career with the Baltimore Ravens in 2016 and played a total of five seasons, but there won’t be reunion any time soon.
