Matthew Judon enjoys his experience in New England: ‘The Patriot Way is my way’

The New England Patriots are not for everybody, with several incoming players struggling to get a hold of the so-called Patriot Way. Matthew Judon is not one of them. Quite the opposite.

The veteran linebacker, who joined the team as a free agent in 2021, has thrived since his arrival in New England. He earned two straight Pro Bowl nominations, put up 28 total sacks in 35 games, and has generally played the best football of his career — being the most disruptive player on one of the league’s top defenses.

Judon living up to his four-year, $54.5 million contract is a reflection of his talent and off-field work, and also his ability to adapt to the Patriots system and the New England area.

“I actually love everything about it,” he recently said on the Jim Rome Show. “I love the Boston seaport, downtown area, and I just like the camaraderie amongst the teams. I was in Maryland, where our next closest team was in D.C. But we get love from the [Celtics], from the Bruins, from the Red Sox — everybody out there is showing us love, and we do it to them and just support each other.

“I really like that, and I really like the town. But, most importantly, I love playing football. So, the Patriot Way is my way. I like being in the building. I enjoy the people around the building. I really just like being there.”

Judon originally entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2016. After five seasons with the organization, he departed to join the Patriots.

The experience has been a positive one for him, and he wants others to go through it as well: Judon is active as a recruiter on social media. While a lot of this is tongue-in-cheek, his underlying sentiment speaks for how well he likes life in New England.

“I’ve been trying to recruiting people, I’ve been trying to get them to come over here with me because I really enjoy it,” he said. “I wouldn’t tell people to come do it if I didn’t really enjoy it.”