FOXBORO, Massachusetts – The New England Patriots showed up to work Thursday and a large portion of the team’s locker room was missing.
The man with the red sleeves was no longer there after the Patriots decided on Wednesday night to trade the disgruntled Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick.
Judon was a big personality and presence during his three seasons with the Patriots, making him a popular and respected teammate. Trading the four-time Pro Bowler wasn’t easy for New England, and Patriots leader Deatrich Wise Jr. believed it rocked the locker room.
“When you lose players, when people get released or traded, it always impacts us,” Wise said after New England’s 14-13 preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. “Because we go through training camps and seasons, we go through a lot of, I would say, emotional activities that build a bond. And losing a guy like that, who became a brother, is always going to impact the locker room in different ways.”
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Judon became a sack champion during his time with the Patriots, recording 32 of them in 38 career games with the club. Nearly half of that total came during a sensational 2022 season, when he recorded a career-high 15.5 sacks.
Because of Judon’s excellence, his teammates tried to follow his example, but now that he is gone, they have to look elsewhere.
“Judon definitely left his mark on this building,” Wise said. “He did a fantastic job of teaching a lot of guys how he sees the game. He took a lot of guys under his wing. You could see the improvements in our defensive line and our pass rush over the last four years he was here. He brought a high level of education and preparation to the game and that’s one thing we’ll definitely miss when he’s no longer here.”
Jerod Mayo, the Patriots’ new head coach, believes it will take a concerted effort to fill the void left by Judon’s absence, and that was the case against the Eagles.
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Wise, Joshua Uche, Oshane Ximines and Keion White all recorded a sack, with Philadelphia playing with its reserves.
Everyone is expected to contribute more now that Judon is set to play for the Falcons, and while Uche expects a group effort like he did with Mayo, he has his sights set on becoming New England’s next pass rusher.
“Like I said, the mentality, next man up,” Uche said. “Whatever the coach asks me to do, I will always try to do my best to help the team win. I have to step up. I have to improve my game and do whatever I can to help the team win.”
