The Chicago Bears made several moves to upgrade their roster this off-season. However, sometimes a team is defined by the moves they didn't make. One of them was the inability to land veteran pass rusher Matthew Judon. GM Ryan Poles made a push to acquire the four-time Pro Bowler a couple of weeks ago, believing he'd be a perfect option across from Montez Sweat. However, after a battle between them and the Atlanta Falcons, Judon ended up going to the latter. While unfortunate, Poles didn't dwell on it long, pivoting to acquire Darrell Taylor from Seattle.
Reports after the deal went down indicated Chicago and Judon couldn't reach common ground on his contract, which led to Atlanta winning the race. It turns out the details are a bit more complicated than that. Insider Albert Breer of the MMQB shared some new details on the matter. It turns out Judon preferred coming to Chicago. The problem wasn't him wanting more money. It was that he wanted a multi-year contract. Poles wasn't willing to offer him that. Chicago saw him as a rental. The Falcons indicated they were open to a long-term deal.
"He’s also turning 32, and looking at his future," Breer recently wrote. "He really liked the idea of going to Chicago. But based on preliminary contract talks with the Bears, it seemed as if their cash-and-cap situation going forward, based on all the commitments they’d already made for 2025, would make this a one-year rental situation. While all of that was happening, Falcons coach Raheem Morris got on the phone with Judon and did a fantastic job selling him on his scheme, the team, and his plan for the star rusher.
"Bottom line: Judon could see an extended future in Atlanta. It was harder to see that in Chicago, as good as the one year there might’ve been."
Matthew Judon taking that route is understandable.
Older players are looking for any long-term security they can get. They don't like playing on a constant string of one-year deals. It is nerve-racking in the extreme. That is why Judon held out from New England in the first place. He wanted some assurances. The Patriots weren't willing to provide them. Neither were the Bears. It shouldn't be surprising. It wasn't just because he's 32. There is also the fact he missed 13 games last year with a biceps injury. Aging and recent injury history are a bad mix.
Poles isn't likely to lose sleep over this. He likes to stay aggressive. The Bears got close. It didn't work out for perfectly logical reasons. Matthew Judon wanted something the organization was unwilling to provide. It happens sometimes. If nothing else, the narrow miss will give more opportunities to rookie Austin Booker, who had a terrific summer. Don't think for one second that Poles has stopped his search for help. Given his reputation, he may try again at the trade deadline in October.
