Matthew Judon Hinting at Patriots' DeAndre Hopkins' Signing?

With so much recent activity in New England Patriots circles, it's easy to overreact to a series of benign, yet cryptic, tweets from their defensive superstar.

He won't say who, but New England Patriots defensive star Matthew Judon appears ready to partake in postseason award voting long before Week 1. 

Foxborough's modern sack master added a new layer of intrigue to the Patriots' pursuit of All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The former Arizona Cardinal has reportedly spent time in the New England facility this week, leading many to peg the Patriots as the favorite to land his services. 

Judon changed speeds on the rumor mill with a tweet on Saturday late afternoon, simply asking "GM of the year?" in apparent rhetorical fashion.

GM of the year?

— Matthew Judon (@man_dammn) June 17, 2023

When one supposed New England sports fan "respectfully" told Judon that such a title couldn't be bestowed because he "(hadn't) done anything," the pass rusher responded with a GIF of James Franco's character from the film "The Interview" looking perplexed and offended, perhaps hinting at action behind the scenes.

While Judon has acted like a bit of a general manager on social media through his frequent recruitment of marquee talents, the ultimate decision will come down to the work of the de facto holder of the title, head coach Bill Belichick. 

With the Patriots in a somewhat sputtering state since the departure of legendary quarterback Tom Brady, signing Hopkins would not only be one of the biggest splashes a team could make as July's relative dead period on the NFL calendar looms but could perhaps help Belichick rediscover his favorable image in the ruthless court of the football-loving public's opinion. 

A fine sign of such redemption would indeed be the Pro Football Writers Association's Executive of the Year Award, which Belichick took home in 2021.

---

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

Follow Patriots Country on Twitter and Facebook

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Patriots? Click Here

More Patriots coverage from Sports Illustrated here.