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Ravens’ Matthew Judon Threatens ESPN Reporter With Release of ‘Strip Club’ Photos

In Thursday’s Hot Clicks: Matthew Judon’s aggressive response to a report about his contract situation, a career night for Danilo Gallinari and more.

Dan Gartland

This won’t help his market value

Ravens linebacker Matthew Judon took a bizarre personal shot at an ESPN reporter over what Judon says is inaccurate reporting on his contract situation.

Jamison Hensley, ESPN’s Ravens beat writer, published a story Wednesday about the financial decisions Baltimore must make about its pass-rush personnel. Outside linebackers Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, Tyus Bowser and Pernell McPhee are all free agents, and it seems unlikely that the team will be able to retain all four.

Judon, a two-time Pro Bowler, played this season on the franchise tag, and Hensley reported that the Ravens tried to lock him up with a long-term deal months ago:

“According to a source, the Ravens tried to strike a long-term deal with Judon this summer by offering him what Za’Darius Smith received in Green Bay (an average of $16.5 million) but he declined,” Hensley wrote.

The article was later updated to include the following line: “Judon has disputed this report.”

“Disputed” is putting it mildly. Judon went scorched-earth on Twitter, calling Hensley a liar and accusing him of fabricating the report.

Judon already had a problem with Hensley after Hensley reported late last month that he was seeking $20 million per year in his next contract—Judon denied that report in a video on Instagram—which he brought up again now that Hensley had more details about his negotiations.

Things got really weird when Judon took the fight to Instagram, where he demanded an “ESPN-sourced apology or I’m leaking these photos I got with you in the strip club.”

Even if he’s only joking about blackmailing Hensley, it’s a puzzling move for Judon to refute Hensley’s report so aggressively. Judon’s denial is based on the idea that Hensley’s report is false simply because it’s against league rules to offer a contract extension when Hensley says the Ravens offered one.

“I know y’all don’t know because I just found out this year but you have about a month to sign a long-term deal after being franchise tagged,” Judon wrote on Instagram.

That’s simply not true. The deadline to apply the franchise tag to a player is in March. Teams and players then have until July to work out a long-term extension. So when Hensley wrote that Judon was offered the $16.5 million “this summer,” it was well within the rules.

Judon will be free to sign a new contract once free agency opens next month. Hensley is probably hoping it's somewhere other than Baltimore. 

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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

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