After contract negotiations came to a halt, the Ravens and Chiefs may trade for a star defender.

Contract negotiations between Matt Judon and the New England Patriots are not moving forward, which could result in a trade.
One of the most well-known players on the trade market is edge defender Matt Judon of the New England Patriots. The former Raven signed with the organization in the offseason of 2021, making him one of the best acquisitions made by the team since Brady. Since then, Judon has nearly reached one sack per game on average for New England, and he is currently in the last year of a four-year contract. The rebuilding Patriots are allegedly hesitant to spend money on a 31-year-old edge defender, thus the two parties are not close to reaching an agreement.

This report comes from Henry McKenna of Fox Sports and fits the tone we’ve heard throughout the offseason. Matt Judon himself said he doesn’t expect to receive an extension from the Patriots, but the trade target looks like he’ll play with New England anyway. However, if he or the team have a change of heart, the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs should be more than willing to give up a late-round pick for his services.

Ravens, Chiefs Could Trade For Matt Judon Admist Stalled Contract Talks

The Baltimore Ravens selected Matt Judon back in the 2016 NFL Draft, so they’d know how to get the most out of him in a trade. While the edge defender had his best statistical seasons with the Patriots, the Grand Valley State product still made two Pro Bowls with the Ravens and recorded a combined 15.5 sacks over his final two seasons in Baltimore.

The Ravens could use another edge defender after losing Jadeveon Clowney to the Carolina Panthers. As of this posting, longtime veteran Kyle Van Noy, former first-round pick Odafe Oweh, and rookie third-round pick Adisa Isaac should be the top three options on the depth chart. While the Ravens could get by with this trio, adding Matt Judon in the trade will give the AFC contenders some much-needed stability at the position. Van Noy is on the older side while Oweh and Isaac are somewhat unproven commodities. If Baltimore wants to return to the Super Bowl, they should try to bolster their pass rush.

 

Chiefs Add More Defensive Weapons

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year in large part thanks to their great defense. While Patrick Mahomes will always be the primary catalyst for the team’s success, Kansas City’s defense controlled the high-powered attacks of the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and San Francisco 49ers throughout their four-game run to a title. Most of the pieces are coming back in 2025, but star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is not one of them. Rather than trying to replace him with a big-name cornerback like Stephon Gilmore, the Chiefs could take an unorthodox approach and trade for Matt Judon.

Kansas City’s pass rush had more time to pursue the quarterback last year because to the outstanding cornerback tandem. In 2023, that won’t be the case, thus the Chiefs may make a trade for a player with collapsed pocket capabilities like Matt Judon, who would lessen the significance of coverage. While George Karlaftis can compete on the edge, Chris Jones is still one of the best interior pass rushers in sports. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, a 2023 first-round selection, had a forgettable rookie campaign. In contrast to Karlaftis, Judon can offer a dependable, experienced presence as the Chiefs attempt to win their third Super Bowl in as many seasons.