On Monday, Patriots pass rusher Matthew Judon seemed to launch an in-camp hold-in, shifting from practicing to not practicing once the team put pads on.
On Tuesday, Judon was nowhere to be seen at the team’s facility.
Via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, multiple players said they didn’t see Judon at work on Tuesday. Reiss notes that it’s unclear whether he chose to stay away, whether the team told him to, or whether it was the result of a mutual agreement.
A conscious and intentional hold-in (i.e., one that isn’t the result of the player saying he’s injured) requires consent of the team. Otherwise, the player is refusing to practice, and he can be disciplined.
The video that surfaced on Monday of Judon talking to coach Jerod Mayo suggested that Mayo wasn’t fully on board with Judon taking a seat. Judon also was spotted speaking “passionately” with executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh.
If Judon opted to commence a delayed holdout, that introduces another set of potential problems. Once a player reports for training camp, any departure sets the stage for a so-called five-day letter. If the player doesn’t return within five days after getting the letter, he can be placed on the reserve/left squad list and shut down for the entire season, with no pay.
Judon is in the final year of his contract. He’s due to make only $6.5 million in 2024. The absence of a new deal is driving Judon’s discontent.