When the Atlanta Falcons signed linebacker Matthew Judon to bolster their less than stellar pass rush, there was a lot of talk about the fact that they traded a third-round pick in 2025 for a 30-year-old on an expiring contract. Contract issues are the main reason Judon no longer plays for the New England Patriots. He wanted a new contract, and his former employer was not at all happy with that.

When Judon arrived in Atlanta late last week, he met with the local media in Atlanta. He stressed that he would like to spend the last year of his contract with the Falcons, especially because he doesn’t know them and they don’t know him. Of course, I think both parties would like to make it work long-term, but he had played for the Patriots for years before being traded.

This is Judon’s quote about his money, or lack thereof, after coming to Atlanta.

The Atlanta Falcons don’t know me as a football player. They know my past. So I can’t ask for something I haven’t worked for.”

Judon just turned 32 and will play the 2024 NFL season for the Falcons for $6.5 million.

With the signing of safety Justin Simmons as a free agent, Atlanta now also has a strong defense.

Judon’s quote is exactly why I wanted the Falcons to sign him instead of Haason Reddick. I talked about it last week on the last episode of The Blogging Dirty Podcast. I revealed that Atlanta may be trading the frustrated edge rusher, who is now with the New York Jets. Reddick was an on-again, off-again player throughout his post-Temple pro career. He was also annoying.

I understand his frustration at being traded from his adopted hometown team, the Philadelphia Eagles, to the usual chump Gang Green, especially when Jets management said they would give him a contract Philadelphia would never get. Overall, I think Reddick overestimated his value. While he and Judon are comparable players, it was always a different case.

Judon had played for the Patriots for years and was their star. He wanted a new contract and didn’t get the one he felt he deserved. Atlanta may not have given him the money he craved, but he’ll have a real chance to win games this year by playing out his expiring contract for a contender. And Reddick could have played for a contender, the Jets, but they’re… the Jets.

Judon may not live up to the hype Dirty Bird Nation creates around him, but his approach is certainly worth appreciating.