The New England Patriots traded Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday night, but the Falcons weren’t the only team interested in acquiring the four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported that four other teams have expressed interest.
The Patriots acquired a third-round draft pick from the Falcons in exchange for Judon, ending his three-year tenure with the team. He was the Patriots’ leading pass rusher, recording 133 total tackles and 32 sacks for the team.
It’s not surprising that multiple teams are interested in adding him to their roster at 32 years old, with Howe reporting that in addition to the Falcons, the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans have also expressed interest.
The Bears were so interested in Judon that they even offered him a third-round draft pick.
Howe wrote:
The Chicago Bears also offered the star pass rusher a third-round pick, according to league sources, but of course the Patriots ended up receiving the Falcons’ third-round pick instead.
The team that ended up winning was the Falcons.
Judon will have a chance to bolster a Falcons defense that ranked 22nd with 42 sacks last season, while the Patriots can shift their focus to younger players.