If it wasn’t already obvious, it became clear this week with the Jets and edge rusher Haason Reddick: Don’t trade for a player who wants a new contract without working out a new contract in advance.
Amazingly, the Falcons sent a third-round pick to the Patriots for edge rusher Matthew Judon without working out a new contract. So, what happens next?
The trade, we’re told, still hinges on Judon passing a physical. He could refuse to show up for it without a new deal. That would cause his rights to revert to the Patriots.
He also could try to hold in with Atlanta until there’s a deal. He attempted that in New England, and it quickly became obvious that the Patriots weren’t willing to let that happen.
Judon is due to make only $6.5 million in 2024. He had two years of double-digit sacks in the two years before he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4. (He was on pace for 17 sacks through four games.) It’s unclear what he wants. It’s unclear what the Falcons will pay. It’s unclear whether the Falcons think they’ll be getting a one-year rental at $6.5 million.
Regardless, the Falcons have traded for a new player who wants a new contract without working out a new contract. This means that they’re inheriting the same issues that contributed to New England’s decision to trade him.
And to those who would insist he should honor his contract, it would be different if these contracts were truly bilateral. If the player underperforms, the team tears up the non-guaranteed years of the deal. (Or, in many instances, waits until just before the season begins and gives him a pay-cut-or-get-cut ultimatum at a time when there will be no real options.) If the player overperforms, he’s stuck.
Given the way Judon has performed, he’s clearly worth more than $6.5 million. And he’s entitled to try to get more. The problem, however, is that it’s far easier for a team to deal with a contract that has gone out of whack than it is for the player to do it.
What will the Falcons do? The first move is Judon’s. He could, if he chooses, refuse to report for a physical unless he gets a new deal.