The Atlanta Falcons haven’t made many huge signings in free agency as they try to get over the hump after falling short of making the playoffs last season. The Falcons took a flyer on Georgia native Leonard Floyd, signing him to a one-year, $10 million contract in hopes of upgrading their pass rush.
Last season, the Falcons’ defense struggled to generate a pass rush, as they were ranked 31st in sacks (31). New Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris didn’t expect the defensive line to perform poorly, especially after the acquisition of veteran pass rusher Matt Judon.
The Falcons traded a 2025 third-round pick to the New England Patriots for Judon in the preseason. The 32-year-old Judon didn’t make a huge impact in his lone season in Atlanta, but he had 5.5 sacks, which was the second-most on the team behind Arnold Ebiketie (six sacks).
That being said, the Falcons haven’t attempted to re-sign the veteran pass rusher, who is still sitting in free agency just weeks before the NFL draft. However, it seems as if Judon wants to return to Atlanta for another season.
According to Twitter/X account @RiseUpReader, Judon posted a picture on Instagram of him and his kid, who is wearing Falcons gear.
Matthew Judon posted this on Instagram today ❤️
— Rise Up Penix (@RiseUpReader) April 14, 2025
I continue to believe he’ll be back with the Falcons. pic.twitter.com/2EHeCYf2KT
As you can imagine, Falcons fans were in the comments, clamoring for the two sides to agree on a new deal. Some fans pointed out how things could be different for Judon and the defense with Jeff Ulbrich coming in as the new defensive coordinator.
Last season, the 32-year-old pass rusher recorded 41 combined tackles, nine quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, five pass deflections, and an interception (a defensive TD).
According to Pro Football Focus, Judon had a 53.9 pass rush grade (161st among 211 qualified EDGEs) and a 53.6 run defense grade (160th) last season, which isn’t great. However, maybe with a new coordinator running the defense, the Falcons’ defense could turn things around in 2025.
The Falcons do not have much depth on the defensive line, specifically on the edge. They could address it in the NFL draft. However, the Falcons need some experienced players, too, opening up the door for a Judon return in the near future.