Should rookie Troy Fautanu start the regular season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, he might be squaring off against one heck of a veteran pass rusher. According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Falcons are nearing a trade for New England Patriots DE/EDGE Matthew Judon after Judon expressed his unhappiness with his contract.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed the trade, adding that Atlanta will send a 2025 third round pick to New England.
That means Judon and the Falcons will see the Steelers in Week 1. It’s a birthday present to Judon, who turns 32 on Thursday. His new place should come with a new deal. After failing to reach an extension with the Patriots, once leading to heated words with head coach Jerod Mayo, New England is moving on from Judon.
A fifth-round pick in 2016 of the Baltimore Ravens, Judon has faced the Steelers several times before. In 10 games against Pittsburgh, Judon has posted four sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. Earlier this year, Judon said that he loves playing the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. This year’s meeting will be held in Atlanta but an ex-Raven beating the Steelers would still feel sweet.
Though he missed most of last season with an injury, Matthew Judon posted double-digit sacks in 2021 and 2022, including a career-high 15.5 in the latter year. Judon is a four-time Pro Bowler and massive boost to a Falcons pass rush that needs help on the edges. Last year, Atlanta finished with only 42 sacks, ranking in the bottom half of the NFL. In 2022, the Falcons finished 31st in sacks and dead last in 2021.
A versatile player with size and power, Judon should align against both of the Steelers’ starting tackles, whoever that ends up being. Before getting hurt last season, Judon logged 97 snaps at LOLB/LDE and 77 snaps at ROLB/RDE. Playing the Falcons on the road will make things even tougher, dealing with crowd noise that could force the Steelers to switch to a silent count.
The Steelers’ season opener already came with plenty of storylines. Two veteran quarterbacks in new places, Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson. New Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith returning to Atlanta, the team that fired him earlier this year. Add Judon to the list of names Pittsburgh will have to contend with to come away with a Week 1 victory.
