When the Falcons traded for Matthew Judon, sending the Patriots a third-round pick, many saw it as the final piece to the puzzle, but it couldn’t have gone any worse.
A large part of the struggles on the defense was, once again, the pass rush. The Falcons had one of the league’s worst pass rushes, finishing 31st in the NFL with 31 sacks; ironically, only the Patriots had fewer with 28.
Just a couple of years ago, Judon finished the 2022 campaign with 15.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 28 quarterback hits. With Atlanta, the veteran only mustered 5.5 sacks, which really doesn’t tell the entire story. He had a stretch in which he recorded four sacks over six games, some coming of the cleanup variety.
Looking beneath the surface and you’ll see that Judon’s production was disappointing. His nine QB hits were the lowest number over a full season, and his seven tackles for loss were the fewest he’s had in a full season since he was a rookie.
This was a pass rusher who posted 32 sacks in 37 games across three seasons. It’s a swing that can only be seen as a complete and utter failure, leaving many to wonder where the Falcons will go now for pass rush help.
I can tell you where they won’t be looking — Matthew Judon. D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that there have not been any talks about a new deal to this point. And to put it simply, there shouldn’t be. The Falcons should have no interest in bringing Matthew Judon back to Atlanta.
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Photographer: Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
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