ESPN Names Bengals as Solid Team Fit For Veteran Edge Rusher Matthew Judon

He had a rough 2024 season.

Nov 10, 2019; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) is brought down by Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Matt Judon (99) during the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images / David Kohl-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are trying to sign Trey Hendrickson to a revised contract this offseason, and ESPN's Bill Barnwell thinks they should add another veteran on the edge to pair with him.

He had Matthew Judon slotted as a solid fit for Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Washington. The 32-year-old struggled with a career-low 43 PFF grade on 655 snaps this past season.

"Over the final seven games of the season, Judon got back on track, generating 4 sacks, 6 knockdowns and 1 pick-six," Barnwell noted. "Admittedly, a closer look pokes some of the air out of that balloon: The four sacks include a play in which a lineman appeared to be tripped, a coverage sack, and a snap in which two Commanders linemen converged on another pass rusher, leaving Judon free to take down Jayden Daniels. So, I'm not sure he was significantly better in the second half.

"Judon is a sound, smart player, but as he turns 33 this year, a new team would probably need to continue spotting him in a part-time role in an edge-rushing rotation. He had 20-plus hits in five consecutive seasons between 2018 and 2022 and nine in four games before suffering a season-ending injury with the Pats in 2023. The hope would naturally be that 2024 was an outlier on a team where nobody seemed capable of getting after the quarterback. The Falcons signaled their decision to move on from Judon by signing Leonard Floyd in free agency, but Judon should eventually find a one-year deal with a contender."

Judon may have one or two more good seasons in him, or he could be flat-out cooked. Making him a part of a rotation as opposed to a full-time starter is probably best to squeeze the rest of his good snaps out. 

PFF projects Judon to sign a one-year, $4.5 million deal over the next few months.

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