Matthew Juden and the New England Patriots didn’t get on the same page this summer, resulting in a trade to the Atlanta Falcons.
Two weeks later, Juden had animated on-field conversations with head coach Jerrod Mayo and administrators Elliott Wolff and Matt Crowe. Getting out of training camp practice; and publicly expressing his dissatisfaction with his contractual situation; The Patriots traded their star pass-rusher to the Falcons last Wednesday for a 2025 third-round pick.
Mayo called the trade a win-win for both parties, but how does Juden feel about leaving his NFL home after three-plus seasons?
“It was tough, but I think it’s something the organization had to do,” Juden told host Kayla Burton in an exclusive interview on NBC Sports Boston. sports sunday, As seen in the video player above. “It’s a business decision. I told you, man, I love the game. It’s the business of it, what it is. Sometimes it’s tough and sometimes it’s not what you want or expect.”
Juden, who is set to make $6.5 million in the final year of his contract, has been clear about wanting a new deal in New England. But our Bill Perry reports that there was a “significant gap” between what Juden was looking for and what the Patriots were willing to pay.
Juden told Burton that he and the Patriots haven’t met in person this offseason, which he believes would have been beneficial for both sides to find common ground.
“I don’t know — we never sat down and actually came to the table with me,” Juden said. “So I think that’s the biggest point. They didn’t know where I was (and) we didn’t know where they were.
“It was always through text or phone calls. We never sat down and talked about it. I think that was the biggest disconnect.”
Juden said he asked to sit down with the front office to discuss his contract, but those requests were denied.
“Of course I asked, I sent those messages through my agents, I asked personally,” Juden said. “But that’s not where we left off.”
Juden has amassed 28 sacks in his first two seasons with the Patriots in 2021 and 2022, while earning Pro Bowl nods. He suffered a biceps injury in 2023 that caused him to miss 13 games, however, and the rebuilding Patriots appear to have opted for a future draft pick over paying the 32-year-old forward in New England.
While Juden is excited for a fresh start in Atlanta, he has fond memories of playing for a passionate fan base in New England.
“Boston is connected in so many ways,” Juden added. “They all believe in sports; everyone believes in sports, and I’ve embraced that. It’s a sports town. It’s a title town.
“So, to all the fans out there that I’m not going to hang out with anymore or you’re not going to see me on a daily basis, I appreciate you for what you’ve done for my life. , first when I was injured or when I wasn’t playing well, or the encouragement you gave me when I was playing well. My was on the back.
“Through thick and thin, I’ve really been embraced by the community and embraced by the community, and I appreciate that.”
Look Juden’s full interview with Burton In the YouTube video below.
