Patriots HC Jerod Mayo Issues Optimistic Update on Matthew Judon

The New England Patriots head coach seems to be seeing progress on signing his star defender.

Jul 24, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo walks to the podium for a press conference before training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a roller coaster of a ride when it comes to the latest contract discussions between Matthew Judon and the New England Patriots this week, but it seems as if the situation could be getting ironed out sooner rather than later, per the latest update from head coach Jerod Mayo.

Things heated up around the Patriots to start the week as social media got fired up, with a video surfacing of Judon and Mayo entering an "animated" discussion on the sidelines of training camp. Ultimately, it led to the star pass rusher departing the field for the rest of the day, and being a no-show at practice for the following.

While it was a dilemma that raised some eyebrows, Mayo spoke to the media, dishing on the entire landscape of the negotiations and current stance with Judon-- where we saw a notably positive update on how the motions of these contract talks are going.

According to coach Mayo, he and Judon had a productive meeting after the events of this week's training camp, with all sides expected to move forward and the two-time Pro Bowler returning to practice on Thursday:

"Had a great meeting with Judon, and we're all moving forward. I remember as a player it's always a difficult time when you go through contract negotiations and things like that... Fully expect Matthew to be out here today and participating in practice."

- Jerod Mayo on Matthew Judon

Judon's abence from Tuesday's camp arose some questions on his future in New England, but per Mayo's assurance, his return back to practice is a great sign that forward progress is being made on a new deal.

Mayo continued to describe the happenings of his conversation with Judon, noting that he encourages he or any other player on the roster to have open communication with he and GM Eliot Wolf:

"I have a great relationship with Matthew. I have a great relationship with the players, but we're moving forward... [The conversation] was good. It was healthy, and I always encourage those guys to come in and speak with me, or speak with Eliot [Wolf]. That's what it is, and those things should happen inside of those walls."

- Jerod Mayo, cont.

Judon is inked to the final year of his initial four-year, $54.5 million contract he signed to join the Patriots back in 2021, but has been eyeying a long-term and deserved pay raise to keep him in town for the foreseeable future.

New England has remained consistent in retaining their top rostered talent to new extensions across this offseason, with their newest coming on Wednesday amid the announcement of Davon Godchaux's new two-year deal-- joining several other Patriots players who found the same result this summer. However, the word's still silent when it comes to Judon's status.

The focus for the Patriots moving forward into training camp will be to get busy in their negotiations with Judon, holding the hope that a new agreement can come to form before the start of week one of the regular season. As New England's pre-season kicks off in just under a week, the pressure is starting to build for the two sides to hash something out.

In the meantime, Judon will be back in the building to participate in camp on Thursday, looking to prove to those watching that he is truly deserving of the payday he's aspiring for.

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