49ers sign Matt Judon to practice squad

Judon was signed by the Bills in the middle of December after being released by the Dolphins, and he’ll have a chance to show he could be a helper as a pass-rusher in the playoffs in Week 18 against the Jets.

The former Dolphins pass rusher now has a chance to make a playoff run. The 33-year-old can serve as a rotational pass rusher. He has 11 tackles and 10 quarterback pressures to his name this year.

The Dolphins are moving on from entrenched veterans with their season officially over following Monday night’s blowout loss to the Steelers. The team benched QB Tua Tagovailoa on Wednesday shortly after releasing Judon, who a ten-year veteran pass rusher who has just 9.5 sacks over the past three seasons combined. In Judon’s 13 appearances with the Dolphins, Judon racked up 19 combined tackles, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits. He did not have a sack over those 13 games. Judon will almost certainly sign with a contending team in need of a rotational pass rusher.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz was the first to report the actual signing. Judon will head to the Fins to serve in what will likely be a situational pass-rush role. During three seasons with the Patriots, Judon totaled 32 sacks in 38 games, but managed just 5.5 sacks in 17 games with the Falcons last season. Set to enter his age-33 year, it’s fair to assume his best years are behind him, but Judon should still have enough in the tank to offer a defense in a lighter-used role.

According to Schultz, both the Dolphins and Judon “are motivated to reach a deal,” suggesting a signing could he imminent if all goes well. Judon spent last season with the Falcons after being traded away from the Patriots. The veteran pass rusher was hoping to parlay a strong 2024 performance into a lucrative payday that the Patriots refused to give him, but he has instead been without a job after totaling 5.5 sacks and seven TFLs in 17 games last season. Judon can still provide some value as a situational pass rusher, but his days as an elite pass rusher may be over.

The Falcons, of course, drafted both Jalon Walker and James Pearce in the first round. In an exclusive interview with CardPlayer.com — not to be confused with our PokerNews.com James Cook scoop a few days ago — Judon said that his sack total was down because “I dropped (into coverage) on 60 percent of the plays. It’s hard to get a pick and a sack on the same play.” Judon also told Kyle Odegard that “a couple” teams had expressed interest in him but he was in no rush to sign.

Judon played 655 snaps last season and was healthy for all 17 games. That’s the good news. The bad news is his 5.5 sacks were his fewest in any healthy season since his rookie season in 2016. Judon will be 32 at the start of next season and decided to bet on himself last season even after being traded from the Patriots to the Falcons. It’s fair to say things didn’t go as planned for Judon, who should still have suitors this offseason, even if it’s not with Atlanta. As a veteran pass rusher, Judon could benefit from playing on select passing downs rather than playing a full-time role.

The Falcons will have Judon’s pass-rushing chops available on Sunday. His 10.7 percent quarterback pressure rate leads all Falcons edge rushers.

Judon still being able to log a limited session is a good sign, but we’ll see what kind of designation he carries into the weekend. The veteran pass rusher has totaled 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his three games with the Falcons, and will be needed in a big way in the team’s divisional matchup against the Saints this weekend.

Judon has spent the last two seasons trying to get a new contract out of the Patriots. Things finally reached a boiling point earlier this summer, which ultimately led to the Patriots trading him to the Falcons in exchange for a third-round pick. When asked about getting a new extension from the Falcons, Judon said, “The Falcons know nothing about me as a football player or as a man. They know my previous resumé. I can’t really demand or ask for anything I haven’t worked for. I’m gonna work for it.” It doesn’t sound like the Falcons will have to worry about finding themselves in a situation similar to that of Haason Reddick and the Jets, as Judon seems more than ready to play out the final year of his deal this season now that he’s with a new team.