Former Falcons Defender Loses Another Chance at Joining NFL Roster in 2025

Matthew Judon might have to wait a little bit longer to sign with a team after the San Francisco 49ers traded for a veteran pass rusher.
Atlanta Falcons v Las Vegas Raiders
Atlanta Falcons v Las Vegas Raiders | Aaron M. Sprecher/GettyImages

Veteran pass rusher Matthew Judon is still awaiting to sign with a new team as OTAs continue across the league to kick off June. The veteran defender spent the 2024 season with the Atlanta Falcons, who acquired Judon last summer from the New England Patriots.

Judon wasn’t overly spectacular in his lone season with the Falcons, but still had 41 combined tackles, nine quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, five pass deflections, and an interception (returned for a defensive touchdown). 

Based on his production in 2025, you’d think Judon would’ve signed with a new team by now, but that hasn’t been the case. On Friday, a potential landing spot for the veteran defender was eliminated, thanks to a trade involving another pass rusher.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Philadelphia Eagles are working on trading veteran defensive end Bryce Huff to the San Francisco 49ers. At the time of the report, the NFL insider said the two teams were working to finalize the deal, which cannot be completed until after June 1.

It's not surprising that the Eagles moved on from Huff, given his performance last year. And for him to land with the 49ers. The 49ers’ new defensive coordinator is Robert Saleh, who signed the veteran edge as an undrafted free agent in 2020.

If there’s anybody who could get Huff back on track, it's Saleh. However, this doesn’t help the former Falcon, who has one less opportunity to play for a contender. 

The 49ers were viewed as a team that could use more pass-rushing depth after the draft, and free-agent options like Judon, Jadeveon Clowney, Demarcus Walker, Za’Darius Smith, and Von Miller were available to sign.

However, San Francisco decided to go with a trade for Huff, who had 2.5 sacks in 12 games, leaving Judon hoping that another team, such as the Detroit Lions, could use a veteran pass rusher. 

But as of right now, it doesn’t seem like the Lions are in the market for a pass rusher, which means the ex-Falcon could be waiting until closer to training camp to sign elsewhere.

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