The Chicago Bears will not trade for four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon, but they have made attempts to secure his services for the 2024 season.
According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, the Atlanta Falcons are giving a 2025 third-round pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for Judon, who has a contract issue with the Patriots and is expected to sign with the Falcons.
For Bears fans, the most important aspect of Schultz’s claim is that Chicago was the other team in the race for Judon before Atlanta closed the deal.
“Sources: Several teams were interested in Matthew Judon, but it ultimately came down to the #Bears and #Falcons, with Atlanta finalising the deal today,” Schultz wrote on X on August 14, providing context to his previous reports on the trade and compensation.
Other NFL insiders confirmed Schultz’s reporting. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on X that the Bears were “heavily involved in Matt Judon trade talks” before the Patriots agreed to the Falcons move. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated also verified that Chicago had called New England “checking in” on Judon’s position in recent weeks.
The relationship between the Bears and the Judon makes sense. The Bears have a star on one side of their defensive line in Montez Sweat, but the other place is still up for grabs, with rookie standout Austin Booker and DeMarcus Walker the leading chances to start. If the Bears had added Judon, they would have gained a veteran with 66.5 career sacks and considerably improved their pass-rushing ability.
Instead, the Bears must look elsewhere for pass-rushing aid ahead of the 2024 season.
Matthew Judon’s interest confirms that the Bears want DE help.
It is unclear why the Bears passed on Judon. Perhaps the Falcons’ third-round offer simply outbid them, but it is also possible that general manager Ryan Poles pulled out when the cost of acquiring Judon became too high — either because Judon wanted too much money on his next contract or the Patriots wanted too much draft resources in return.
Regardless of the reasons, the Bears’ interest in Judon highlights the fact that they are still looking for a seasoned pass rusher for their defence.
The Bears have hinted at aspirations to address the defensive end position further since before camp began, but the Judon news suggests they are ready to take a risk rather than signing one of the available senior free agents, such as Yannick Ngakoue or Carl Lawson.
In an August 13 interview with CBS Sports, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus appeared to make a mistake about the team’s plans to add another formidable pass rusher.
“He demands attention, which helps to free up the other rushers. It’s really crucial to be able to do that with a guy like that.” Eberflus stated Tuesday in answer to a query regarding Sweat’s importance to the defence. He next said: “When you can have two, it’s even better — and that’s what we’re searching to do here coming forward.”
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