Pats’ Judon back to practice after ‘great meeting’

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he had a “great meeting” with disgruntled outside linebacker Matthew Judon and the sides are “moving forward,” with Judon participating in practice Thursday.

“I remember as a player, it’s always a difficult time when you go through contract negotiations and things like that,” Mayo said, deflecting a question on whether the team levied any discipline on Judon as a result of his actions earlier in the week.

“I have a great relationship with Matthew. I have a great relationship with the players. We’re moving forward.”

Judon was a full participant in the Patriots’ non-full-pads practice on Thursday. He wasn’t around the team Tuesday, according to teammates, but it was unclear if that was his own decision or based on orders from the team. The Patriots had a scheduled day off Wednesday.

Judon wasn’t made available to reporters after practice, but teammates noted his presence.

“Want to see my brother Matthew Judon get his contract,” said defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, who reached a two-year extension with the team Wednesday. “As we all know, it’s a business, but he deserves that new contract and we’re all pulling for him.”

Mayo said his philosophy as a first-year head coach is “to keep as much internal as possible,” but he did acknowledge his conversation with Judon.

“It was good. It was healthy. I always encourage those guys to come in and speak with me, or speak with [executive vice president of player personnel] Eliot [Wolf],” Mayo said. “That’s what it is and those things should happen inside those walls.”

Judon is scheduled to earn a base salary of $6.5 million in the final season of the four-year, $56 million contract he signed as a free agent in March 2021. He said last week he doesn’t believe the contract reflects his value. Perhaps complicating negotiations is that Judon, who turns 32 in August, missed 13 games last season with a torn biceps.

The situation appeared to reach a breaking point Monday, when Judon wasn’t dressed to participate as the Patriots began their first full-pads practice of training camp. Judon instead sat on a flipped-over trash barrel as his teammates went through drills and was approached by Mayo. After Mayo addressed him, Judon got up, appeared to be animated as he said something to Mayo, and then walked off the field.

Judon also spoke passionately to Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh on the field, with everything playing out in front of reporters and thousands of fans in attendance.