Report: Matthew Judon to undergo biceps injury, holding out hope for 2023 return

New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon is set to undergo surgery on his injured right biceps on Wednesday.

The procedure will sideline him for at least two months, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, but he hopes to attempt a comeback later during the season. There is uncertainty whether a return in 2023 is realistic, though.

Judon, 31, left Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys after a tackle attempt in the fourth quarter. While he walked off the field under his own power, he was quickly announced as doubtful to return to the contest and later diagnosed to have suffered a tear of his lower biceps tendon.

An eight-year NFL veteran who is in his third season as a Patriot, Judon is one of the team’s best players on either side of the ball. At the time of his injury, he had been on the field for 184 of 248 defensive snaps (74.2%) and had a team-leading four sacks as well as 12 other quarterback pressures to his name.

With Judon now expected to move to injured reserve and possibly miss the remainder of the season, the Patriots will have to turn to their depth options along the defensive edge.

Fourth-year defenders Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings as well as second-round rookie Keion White are the leading candidates to take on extended roles moving forward. The team might also opt to give Deatrich Wise Jr. and Jahlani Tavai more snaps to help replace Judon’s spot as a three-down defender.

In addition to Judon, the Patriots also lost starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez to injury against the Cowboys. The first-round rookie went down with a shoulder injury not even a full quarter into New England’s 38-3 loss.

The Patriots will welcome on the New Orleans Saints to Gillette Stadium this coming Sunday.