One of the intriguing aspects of the acquisition of star pash rusher Matthew Judon is his contract situation. He’s entering the final year of a four-year, $54.5 million deal and was looking for a new contract with the Patriots before he was traded. Now, his contract seems to have become less of a priority. He will not hold out in hopes of a new deal with the Falcons before the season, and instead, desires to prove his worth to his new team, both on the field and as a leader.
Judon on a new contract: The #Falcons know nothing about me as a football player or as a man. They know my previous resume. I can't really demand or ask for anything I haven't worked for. I'm gonna work for it.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 19, 2024
These are completely new waters for the Falcons, and a lot of it can be attributed to Raheem Morris. Guys clearly are willing to give Atlanta some breaks because they want to be here, something that hasn’t happened since Matt Ryan was in his prime nearly a decade ago.
Matthew Judon has every right to be looking for a new contract. He’s 32 years old and coming off a season-ending bicep injury, which limited him to just four games last season. This is likely the last time he’ll be able to cash in big before his career is over, and another injury could end up costing him a ton of money. In most cases, the player is going to do what’s best for himself, and nobody can really blame him.
However, ever since Raheem Morris was named the head coach in Atlanta, the business side of things seems to have become secondary to everybody in the locker room. The culture that Arthur Smith was dying to build over three years has come together in just a matter of months with Morris. Everybody is pulling on the same rope with one goal in mind — winning. It’s incredibly refreshing to see after everything that has transpired over the last few years, another sign that this Falcons organization is turning a corner, adding even more excitement for the 2024 campaign.
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Photographer: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire
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