Linebacker Matthew Judon could have derailed the trade that sent him from the Patriots to the Falcons by refusing to show up for the physical on which the trade was expressly contingent.
He didn’t. He showed. And he passed. Per the Falcons, the deal is official and final.
This means that the Falcons get Judon at a base salary of $6.5 million this year. At least one source connected to neither of the teams believes that the Falcons gave up a third-round pick to get the low salary, and that the size of the selection shows that Atlanta has no plan to do anything about the contract.
In every trade, there are two factors a team considers. What do we have to give to the team, and how much do we have to pay the player? The lower the player’s pay, the greater the trade compensation.
Given that Judon was willing to practice and play for $6.5 million this year in New England, it’s fair to assume he’ll do it in Atlanta. Especially since he has no real way to force a new deal.
His best way to do it would have been to refuse to report for the physical. He didn’t, and he presumably knows what that means.
It means he’ll play for the Falcons at his current rate unless and until they decide to give him a new contract. If they don’t, he’ll become a free agent in 2025.