Patriots linebacker Mattew Judon returned to practice on Day 7 of training camp at Gillette Stadium on Thursday.

Not only does Judon mean a lot to his teammates, but fellow linebacker Josh Uche pointed out how much Patriots fans, and even the members of the media, love the pass rusher.

“Judon has been a leader since he’s gotten here,” Uche told reporters, per team-provided video. “His production, the way he interacts with you guys. How much you guys revere and love him — it’s reciprocated by the fans as well.”

Uche continued, “I just think it’s very obvious. If you look around at how you guys report on him and how the fans love and revere him, I think that speaks for itself.”

Judon, who has been vocal about wanting a new contract, and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo had a public dispute at Patriots training camp on Monday. Uche said he understood Judon’s stance.

“Definitely,” Uche said. “You want to be appreciated. You definitely want to be respected and you definitely want to be valued. So, I understand the emotional component behind (it). It’s something that he has to navigate on his own and it’s something that at the end of the day, whether it be the team or him, everyone’s just going to have to come to some type of agreeance and I understand.”

Judon was a full participant in training camp on Thursday. He participated in all individual and team drills and he registered a sack during competitive drills.