A few days after Matthew Judon was seen heatedly speaking to Jerod Mayo and others during a training camp practice, the New England Patriots' first-year head coach said the two sides are moving forward.
"Look, we had a conversation," Mayo said. "I have a great relationship with Matthew, I have a great relationship with the players. But we're moving forward and we're trying to work it out."
Judon, who turns 32 in a few weeks, is seeking a new contract. He's owed $7.5 million this season, clearly believing his value to be higher. Judon has been in attendance at training camp but hadn't practiced since the Patriots went full pads on Monday.
Mayo and Judon had a tense conversation during Monday's practice, which appeared to display Judon's frustration as he walked away following the heated exchange. Judon also reportedly had conversations with executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh.
Mayo said Thursday that he "had a good meeting" with Judon and that, as a former player, Mayo can very much relate to the business side of football.
"I remember as a player it's always a difficult time when you go through contract negotiations and things like that," Mayo said. "And in saying that for the rest of the team, we're pushing forward. Fully expect Matthew to be out here today and participate in practice."
And sure enough, there Judon was at the head of the line in conditioning drills to open Thursday's session.
Mayo made clear that even as a new head coach, he's not trying to avoid communication and interaction with his players, even when it might lead to awkwardness or hurt feelings.
"It was good, it was healthy," Mayo said. "And I always encourage those guys to come in and speak with me, speak with Eliot, and that's what it is, and those things should happen inside of those walls."
Judon played only four games with the Patriots during their nightmare 2023 season that saw Bill Belichick resign as head coach. But Judon had four sacks in those four games, totaling 32 in his 38 career games in New England.
The Patriots are more than $43 million below the salary cap, according to Over The Cap. They recently lost defensive tackle Christian Barmore indefinitely after he was discovered to have blood clots.
