With edge-rusher depth suddenly under strain, the Jets brought in a familiar veteran name for a look on Tuesday: Matthew Judon.
New York has taken hits on the outside in a hurry. Braiden McGregor was lost for the season in Week 4 with a pectoral injury, and Joseph Ossai also came out of Sunday’s win banged up, dealing with an ankle issue. Ossai had already missed the first two weeks of the regular season, plus most of the summer, because of a separate foot problem.
Will McDonald and Kingsley Enagbare were both listed as game-time decisions before Sunday’s matchup, but each was ultimately able to play.
That shortage pushed the Jets to work out Judon, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
Judon, 34, has spent 11 seasons in the league since being taken in the fifth round in 2016. His career has taken him through Baltimore, New England, Atlanta, Miami, Buffalo, and San Francisco. The peak of his resume came from 2019 through 2022, when he made four straight Pro Bowls and piled up 43.5 sacks, including 15.5 in 2022 with the Patriots.
The last few seasons have been much tougher. After that big year in New England, Judon was limited to four games the next season because of a lower bicep injury, though he still managed four sacks. In 2024, he landed with the Falcons and put up 5.5 sacks across 17 games, but the fit never really clicked.
He signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Dolphins in 2025, but the production dried up there too. Judon had just three quarterback hits and no sacks in 13 games before Miami released him in December.
He then spent 12 days with the 49ers. Elevated from the practice squad for Week 4, he recorded one stop on 15 snaps before being released on Saturday.
The Jets are clearly looking at the résumé as much as the recent box scores. Judon still brings the kind of track record that turns heads - four Pro Bowls, a long run as a disruptive pass rusher - even if the recent production has fallen off. Since 2024, he has appeared in 32 games with 18 starts, finishing with 5.5 sacks, 36 pressures, 12 quarterback hits, and a fumble recovery.
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