Patriots end standoff with Pro Bowler via major contract boost

The New England Patriots clearly want their star edge-rusher back in practice. Defensive end Matthew Judon had been staging a hold-in since the beginning of training camp.

Judon was reportedly refusing to be a full participant in practice over an ongoing contract dispute with the Patriots. Instead, Judon would primarily spend his time on conditioning work while his teammates conducted drills.

On Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Patriots rewarded the four-time Pro Bowler with the contract improvement he was waiting for. Judon is now slated to receive $14 million in guaranteed money, with incentives that could push the figure to $18 million. His previous deal had just $2 million guaranteed and a maximum earning potential of $12.5 million. No new years were included in the adjustment.