Matt Judon

Matthew Judon was signed by the New England Patriots as an unrestricted free agent from Baltimore on March 19, 2021. Originally drafted by Baltimore in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. Named franchise player by Baltimore and signed his tender (5/28/20).

CAREER TRANSACTIONS

Matthew Judon was signed by the New England Patriots as an unrestricted free agent from Baltimore on March 19, 2021. Originally drafted by Baltimore in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. Named franchise player by Baltimore and signed his tender (5/28/20).

SEASONAL REVIEWS

2022 (17/15)

• Played in all 17 regular season games with 15 starts and recorded a career-high 15½ sacks for 102.5 yards. Also recorded 60 total tackles (36 solo, 24 assist), 28 QB hits, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three passes defensed. 
• Earned his fourth straight Pro Bowl invitation and second straight with the Patriots. Also earned PFWA-ALL-AFC Team. 
• Became the fourth Patriots player with back-to-back 10-plus sack totals, joining Garin Veris (1985-86), Andre Tippett (1984-85) and Tony McGee (1977-79).
• Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Tippett is the only Patriots player to record more sacks in a season than Judon's 15½ with Tippett recording 18½ in 1984 and 16½ in 1985. His 2022 sack total was 4th in the NFL. 
• Judon tied a career-high with 3 sacks vs. Indianapolis (11/6), registering his third game in 2022 with at least two sacks. Had 2½ sacks vs. Chicago (10/24) and 2 sacks vs. Detroit (10/9). 
• Registered a sack in each of the first four games after a 7-yard sack of QB Aaron Rodgers in the first quarter at Green Bay (10/2). He is just the second New England player to start a season with at least one sack in each of the first four games to start a season. Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Tippett began the 1986 season with one sack in each of the first four games.
• Earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance vs. Detroit (10/9).  

2021 (17/6, 1/0)

• Started at OLB in the nickel package vs. Miami (9/12) and recorded three tackles and a QB hit.
• Recorded his first Patriots sack at N.Y. Jets (9/19).
• Registered 2.5 sacks vs. New Orleans (9/26), the 7th multi-sack game of his career.
• Tallied a sack for the third straight game when he dropped QB Tom Brady for an eight-yard loss in the second quarter vs. Tampa Bay (10/3), the third time he has had a stretch of three straight games with at least a half a sack. Posted seven tackles in the game as a starting linebacker.
• Registered two sacks in a three-play sequence in the second quarter at Houston (10/10) to up his total to 6.5 sacks for the season. It is the 8th time in his career that he has had a multi-sack game and the second time in 2021 (2.5 sacks vs. New Orleans on 9/26).
• Set a team record with 6.5 sacks through the first five games. The previous record was 5.5 sacks by Chandler Jones in 2015 and Andre Tippett in 1984.
• Recorded a sack in four straight games to become the first Patriots player with a sack in four straight games since Jamie Collins and Chase Winovich, who both had sacks in four straight games in 2019.
• Started at linebacker vs. Dallas (10/17) and tallied six total tackles and a QB hit.
• Saw significant snaps on defense with limited time on special teams as a starter vs. N.Y. Jets (10/24).
• Finished with 1 1/2 sacks at L.A. Chargers (10/31), his third game in 2021 with more than one sack. He had 2 1/2 sacks vs. New Orleans on Sept. 26 and 2 sacks at Houston on Oct. 10.
• Registered his 9th sack of the season at Carolina (11/7) when he dropped Sam Darnold for a 10-yard loss in the fourth quarter. He had a career-high of 9 1/2 sacks in 2019 with Baltimore.
• Combined with Dont'a Hightower on a 9-yard sack in the third quarter vs. Cleveland (11/14) to tie his single-season career high with 9 1/2 sacks. He had 9 1/2 sacks in 2019 with Baltimore.
• Reached double-digit sacks for the first time in his career after a 9-yard sack of QB Matt Ryan in the second quarter at Atlanta (11/18) pushed his season total to 10 1/2 sacks. It is the 17th time that the Patriots have had a player reach 10 or more sacks in a season. Judon's previous best was 9 1/2 in 2019 with Baltimore.
• Increased his 2021 sack total to 11 1/2 with an 8-yard sack of Ryan Tannehill in the first quarter vs. Tennessee (11/28). He joins Tony McGee, Andre Tippett, Garin Veris, Willie McGinest, Mike Vrabel and Chandler Jones as the only Patriots players to reach 11 sacks in a season. Judon also recorded six total tackles on the day.
• Had a 9-yard sack of Josh Allen in the fourth quarter at Buffalo (12/6) to increase his season total to 12.5 sacks. Judon joins Chandler Jones (12 1/2 in 2015) and Mike Vrabel (12 1/2 in 2007) for the most sacks in a single-season by a Patriots player under Bill Belichick.
• Started at linebacker at Indianapolis (12/18) and recorded five tackles, one of which accounted for his 200th solo tackle in the NFL.
• Recorded three total tackles and his first pass defensed of the season vs. Buffalo (12/26).
• Missed most of the week due to Covid reasons, but came back and saw limited snaps vs. Jacksonville (1/2).
• Recorded three tackles and a tackle for loss at Miami (1/9) He set a new career high for tackles in a single season with 60 tackles for the season. His previous high was 58 tackles in 2017 when he was in Baltimore.
• Recorded a tackle in the Wild Card Round loss at Buffalo (1/15), adding a quarterback hit.

2020 (14/13, 2/2 - Baltimore)

• Earned his second career Pro Bowl invitation.
• Played in 14 regular-season games with 13 starts and totaled 50 tackles, six sacks, and two passes defended.
• Started both postseason contests and posted six tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
• Missed games at Pittsburgh (12/2) and vs. Baltimore (12/8) after being placed on Reserve/COVID-19.
• Tallied four tackles a season-high two sacks and one pass defended at Washington (10/4).
• Registered a season-high seven tackles at Indianapolis (11/8).
• Tallied six tackles and a sack vs. Tennessee (11/22).
• Made three tackles and a sack in the Divisional Playoff loss at Buffalo (1/16).

2019 (16/16, 1/1 - Baltimore)

• Earned his first career Pro Bowl invitation and was named to the PFWA-All-AFC-Team.
• Started all 16 regular-season games and totaled 54 tackles, led the team with a career-high 9.5 sacks and four forced fumbles as part of a defense that ranked No.3 in the NFL in points allowed and No. 4 in yards allowed per game.
• Made three tackles in the Divisional Playoff loss vs. Tennessee (1/11).
• Posted season-highs with seven tackles and two sacks and forced a fumble in the win vs. Houston (11/17).
• Compiled five tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in the win at Buffalo (12/8).

2018 (16/8, 1/0 - Baltimore)

• Appeared in all 16 regular-season games with eight starts and registered 44 tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble, and three passes defended.
• Played as a reserve in the Wild Card Playoff Loss vs. L.A. Chargers (1/6) and made four tackles.
• Tallied a season-high 10 tackles at Carolina (10/28)
• Posted five tackles, a single-game career-high three sacks, and one forced fumble in the win vs. Oakland (11/25). Recorded a sack on three consecutive plays, one of which forced a fumble that was recovered by the Ravens and returned for a 43yard touchdown.

2017 (16/12 - Baltimore)

• Played in all 16 games with 12 starts and totaled a career-high 58 tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and three passes defended.
• Made his first career start and made one tackle in the season-opening win at Cincinnati (9/10).
• Registered a single-game career-high 12 tackles and two sacks vs. Chicago (10/15).
• Made seven tackles and recorded his second multi-sack performance for the season at Green Bay (11/19). Also forced one fumble. Was Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

2016 (14/0 - Baltimore)

• Appeared in 14 games as a reserve and registered 27 tackles, four sacks, one fumble recovery, and two passes defended.
• Made his NFL debut in the season-opening win vs. Buffalo (9/11) and made one tackle.
• Posted three tackles and the first multi-sack game of his career at N.Y. Jets (10/23).
• Tallied a season-high five tackles at New England (12/12).

COLLEGE

• Played in 42 career games and 32 starts and finished as the school's all-time leader with 35 sacks. Earned Great Lakes Intercollegiate defensive Lineman of the Year Award in both 2014 and 2015.
• Earned first-team all GLIAC honors as a senior after leading the nation with 21 sacks, adding 81 tackles, three passes defended, and two fumble recoveris.

PERSONAL

• Attended West Bloomfield (Mich.) High School, recorded 89 tackles and six sacks as a senior.
• Named honorable mention All-Metro North by The Detroit News.

HONOR & AWARDS

• 2022: AFC Defensive Player of the Week (Wk. 5)
• 2021: Pro Bowl, PFWA All-AFC Team
• 2020: Pro Bowl
• 2019: Pro Bowl, PFWA All-AFC Team
• 2017: AFC Defensive Player of the Week (Wk. 11)