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Patriots restructure Matthew Judon’s contract, opening the door for another extension

The Patriots restructured Matthew Judon’s contract on Thursday. Is another move – potentially an extension – in the works?

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 09: Matthew Judon #9 of the New England Patriots sacks Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions during the first half at Gillette Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Nick Grace/Getty Images)

Matt Judon sacked Detroit’s Jared Goff twice on Sunday, as the Pats blanked the NFL’s highest-scoring offense. (Photo by Nick Grace/Getty Images)

Nick Grace/Getty Images

Earlier this week, the Patriots inked one of their first in-season contract extensions of the year, signing linebacker Jahlani Tavai to a new two-year deal. Could another move be in the works?

On Thursday morning, ESPN's Field Yates reported the Patriots have restructured the contract of linebacker Matthew Judon. The details of the reworked deal were not immediately reported, but the move does create $2.2 million in cap space this year, while increasing Judon's cap hit by $1 million in 2023 and 2024. No years were added to Judon's contract.


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ESPN's Mike Reiss followed the tweet up noting that the move "provides the Patriots cap space to get through the rest of the season," before adding, "and potentially to strike a modest-type extension with others on the roster when considering future planning (e.g. Jahlani Tavai)."

The Patriots have a number of players who are in the final year of their deal who could be candidates for an such an extension. That group includes wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, defensive tackle Carl Davis, linebackers Raekwon McMillan and Mack Wilson, cornerback Jonathan Jones, and long snapper Joe Cardona. Keep in mind some of those players, mainly Meyers and Jones, would likely want to test the open market before committing to a new deal.

As for Judon, his restructure comes in the middle of a career year. The 30-year-old leads the league with 13 sacks, and is currently the top vote getter among AFC outside linebackers for the Pro Bowl. The Patriots originally signed Judon to a four-year, $56 million contract during their free agency spending spree in March 2021.

Matthew Judon's career stats

 
Year Age Tm G GS PD FF FR Sacks Tackles Solo Ast TFL QB Hits Awards
2016 24 BAL 14 0 2 0 1 4.0 27 12 15 4 10
2017 25 BAL 16 12 3 2 1 8.0 61 51 10 17 19
2018 26 BAL 16 8 3 1 0 7.0 44 29 15 10 20
2019 27 BAL 16 16 4 0 9.5 54 43 11 14 33 PB
2020 28 BAL 14 13 2 0 0 6.0 50 32 18 9 21 PB
2021 29 NWE 17 16 1 0 1 12.5 60 38 22 14 25 PB
2022 30 NWE 11 9 3 1 0 13.0 43 24 19 11 23
Career 104 74 14 8 3 60.0 339 229 110 79 151
BAL 76 49 10 7 2 34.5 236 167 69 54 103
NWE 28 25 4 1 1 25.5 103 62 41 25 48
Bold indicates league leader
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/1/2022.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

Alex Barth is a digital content producer and on-air host for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Barth grew up in the Boston area and began covering the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, and Boston Red Sox in 2017 before joining the Hub in 2020. He now covers all things Boston Sports for 985TheSportsHub.com as well as appearing on air. Alex writes about all New England sports, as well as college football. You can follow him across all social media platforms at @RealAlexBarth.