FOXBORO, Mass. — Friday was a night to remember for Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon

Prior to the in-stadium practice, it was announced that Judon and the Patriots agreed on a contract adjustment that would give the Pro Bowler $14 million guaranteed. He was initially set to make $2 million guaranteed this season, and will now have the ability to earn up to $18 million.

And while Judon did not want to talk too much about his contract with reporters, he did provide some insight into what this means to him. 

"Me and the guys upstairs got something done," Judon said. "I'm happy. They're happy. We shook hands and now we playing football."

While there were questions about whether Judon was holding in during training camp, choosing to not participate in an effort to get a new contract, it seems that wasn't the case. 

"I'm a competitor. I love playing football. I'm back out here playing football. And get to do what I love to do," Judon said. Regardless if I would have got something done or not, I'm playing free… Regardless if I was out here or if I was down there running, I was doing it wholeheartedly and I was doing it happily. It was never forced."

"So, when I'm out here between the white lines, it's all football."

Since joining the Patriots in 2021, Judon has recorded 120 total tackles, 28 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries across 34 games. With that, he has also been named to the Pro Bowl in both his seasons in New England. 

And last season was unmatched for Judon, with the linebacker posting a career-high 15.5 sacks. 

“I think it represents they kind of want to keep me around here or keep me happy, or just they’re representing that they see what I did and they appreciate it as an organization,” Judon said. “When you kind of do something that like that — because honestly they didn’t have to. If we’re being quite frank. They didn’t have to. They didn’t have to budge. They could have said you signed it, and this is what you’re going to do. But they helped me out so I can help the team out.”

This new deal did not include any more years added to the deal, with Judon's current deal going through the 2024 season. 

Patriots Training Camp Takeaways: Rookie defenders were showing off (Day 10)

While the defense had moments, they were forced to do extra running on Sunday.

Featured Image via Sophie Weller – A to Z Sports