It’s safe to say New England Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon is hungry to take on his fourth season in Foxboro.
After his previous campaign was cut short after four games due to injury, Judon is expected to be fully healthy for next year, preparing to try and replicate a season resembling the numbers he posted in 2022– a year headlined by 15.5 sacks and 60 combined tackles.
And when you ask Judon, it looks like he’s ready to do nothing more but put opposing offenses on notice once again.
While on The Money Down Podcast hosted by former Patriots back (and 3x Super Bowl champion) James White, Judon went to voice his expectations for the coming season, where he didn’t hold back on what he wants to see from himself:
“I got a personal message,” Judon said. “I’m out for a vendetta. I got s*** to prove, and I got stuff I want to get done in my career. Personally, I’m on all B.S. all year. I’m about to turn the dial back. As far as the state of the Patriots, I can’t speak about the locker room, I haven’t been there, but I know it’s not going to be the same. It’s not going to be the same Patriots. It’s going to look different. It’s going to feel different. We’re not laying down for nobody. We’re not trying to rebuild.”
2024 will be a contract year for Judon, and projects to be the perfect time for him to make a statement. He’s only 31 years old, and as long as his bicep injury from last season doesn’t inhibit his production, he looks to have a lot of mileage left in the tank.
Judon then went on to discuss the Patriots’ head coaching transition, where he didn’t seem worried one bit about moving into the Jerod Mayo era after Bill Belichick held the operation down for over 20 seasons.
“We just got a new coach,” Judon said. “[Bill Belichick] was there for a long time, and he was a great coach. He was great for the organization. He did everything in his power to win championships, but now it’s Mayo’s time to do the exact same thing. So, we ain’t about to come out every game looking like a deer in headlights. We’re going to put the best 11 on the field, offense, special teams, and defense to win a game.”
The future looks bright in New England, and Judon shares the same sentiment. With the team’s most impactful pass rusher back into the fold for next season, expect this Patriots defense to look revitalized and back to full strength for 2024.