FOXBORO — Contract extensions have been a hot topic through the first two days of training camp as foundational players on expiring deals have stepped up to the makeshift podium on the side of the Gillette Stadium practice field for media availability.
It makes sense. The Patriots have the cap space flexibility to make any move that they want (they need running back help, and it would be unsurprising if they added to the position soon). With $15.5 million available, the Patriots currently have the 12th-most cap space in the NFL. They’re set to have the NFL’s most cap space in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 offseasons. Plus, as Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh said this week while discussing the team’s pursuit of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, “You look at the salary cap, basically anybody can make anything work right now. You just move some things around and get creative.”
Creativity is not required in Foxboro right now. They have the cash.
Extensions make sense. The team should be actively pursuing new deals with tight end Hunter Henry, safety Kyle Dugger, edge defender Josh Uche and guard Mike Onwenu, among others. But they also have no excuse to pass over key players who deserve pay raises.
Defensive tackle Lawrence Guy’s situation is well known. He wasn’t present for minicamp and said Thursday that he and his agent have been in contact with the organization. He stopped short of saying why, but ESPN reported the reason he skipped minicamp was believed to be contract related.
There’s no player on the roster more deserving for a pay raise than outside linebacker Matthew Judon, however. Judon has been limited in practice for the last two days but didn’t start training camp on the physically unable to perform or non-football injury lists. Sources have not categorized Judon’s lack of availability as a hold-in to the Herald, but the four-time Pro Bowler has earned more money coming his way soon.
Judon signed a four-year, $54.5 million contract in 2021. Now in the third year of that deal and after two Pro Bowl seasons, Judon’s average salary ranks 19th among fellow edge defenders. Judon is due $12 million in cash this season. That ranks 23rd among fellow edge defenders. In 2024 — the final year of his deal — he’s due just $10.5 million in cash. That ranks 18th among fellow edge defenders.
He’s outplayed the contract he signed. And the Patriots are in the position to reward their own players and keep what’s working within the organization and happy.
The Patriots could choose to extend Judon. The Cincinnati Bengals just handled business that way with their star edge defender, Trey Hendrickson, reportedly giving him $21 million in new money in a one-year extension through 2025. Hendrickson signed a four-year, $60 million contract in 2021.
The other option would be to simply give Judon a raise. They did that with cornerback Stephon Gilmore in 2020, giving him an additional $5 million as he came off of a defensive player of the year campaign in 2019.
NFL teams aren’t typically in the business of handing out free money, but Judon deserves more assurances. His current contract is barely guaranteed. He has an $18.1 million cap hit this season, and the Patriots could clear $12.5 million of it by trading him or $10.5 million by cutting him. They’d take on just $5.6 million in dead money if they cut or traded him next offseason. He’s still just 30 years old, and edge defenders tend to age pretty gracefully in the NFL.
Judon produced the first double-digit sack campaign of his career in 2021 with 12.5 sacks, 25 QB hits, 60 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. He eclipsed his pass-rushing totals last season with 15.5 sacks, 28 QB hits, 60 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Judon figures to build on what he and Uche accomplished last season as one of the NFL’s most productive pass-rushing duos. The Patriots added second-round pick Keion White as a power rushing edge defender in the 2023 NFL Draft. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore missed time last season with injury but has shown disruptive ability in the middle of the defense in his two-year career.
A raise would send the message that the team will do what’s right if a player has earned it. The Patriots certainly have enough cash to throw around right now.