"That boy is washed" "come back to Falcons": NFL fans split over Dolphins releasing 4× Pro Bowl Matthew Judon

Matthew Judon is once again a man without a team. His time with the Miami Dolphins has been cut short with the four-time Pro Bowl linebacker being released by the team on Wednesday. He’d only joined the club in August on a one-year deal worth $6 million.

His release has had a polarizing impact on fans and what they believe he’s capable of.

“That boy is washed go be a family man,” according to one person.

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“Come back to the falcons good sir,” asked another. “Who says you can’t go home,” wondered one fan with a picture of Judon in Ravens’ colours.

Judon was one of 10 kids growing up with his family in Louisiana. He and his wife have three children, with their last one born in late 2021. Before joining the Dolphins, Judon played one season with the Atlanta Falcons. His first five years in the NFL were with the Ravens, where he earned two Pro Bowl nods.

Judon turned 33 in August and failed to register a single sack with the Dolphins. His production in that department had declined steadily over the years. He had 5.5 sacks in 2024 with the Falcons while following up a career-high 15.5 sacks in 2022 with a career-low four as a Patriot in 2023.

Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt has missed significant time with injury, and with his status up in the air and Pittsburgh still in playoff contention, there’s a belief the team may pursue Judon.

Judon played three seasons with the New England Patriots, making two Pro Bowls during his time in Foxborough. His former coach with the Pats, Bill Belichick, said in September that he wore a red sleeve so that his mom wouldn’t notice if he was bleeding.

Dolphins may be doing Judon a favour

At his age, Judon may be running out of chances to get his hands on the Lombardi. By releasing him, there’s a belief that the Dolphins did it to give him an opportunity to clutch the Super Bowl. Miami is officially eliminated from postseason contention at 6-8.

He could be a valuable depth piece to a team still in the playoff hunt and aiming to make a Super Bowl run. Releasing him may be a win/win for both the Dolphins and Judon. The linebacker is free to explore other options while teams like the Steelers, Pats, and Ravens are in the playoff conversation and may want to take a chance on signing him without any financial burden.

Judon was. First-team All-American in college at Grand Valley State.

Edited by Joel Lefevre