It never feels good to be turned down, and the Chicago Bears just experienced that firsthand.
Heading into 2024, the Bears have high hopes for a turnaround season. Their offense is revamped with first-round picks Caleb Williams at quarterback and Rome Odunze at wide receiver. But the defense may be lagging behind in terms of talent.
Chicago reportedly tried to address that talent gap last week via the trade market. However, according to recent reports, they were denied not by the team they were negotiating with, but by the player himself.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported on X that former New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon, who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, had his choice between the Falcons and the Bears.
"New England, believing the Bears and Falcons were in a similar category, and with third-round offers from both, gave OLB Matthew Judon his choice of being dealt to Atlanta or Chicago," Breer said. "Judon, obviously, picked Atlanta."
Judon, 32, was a Pro-Bowler every season from 2019-2022, before suffering a season-ending injury early in 2023. His best season came with the Patriots in 2022, when he set a career-high with 15 1/2 sacks and finished ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
It's a tough blow for Chicago's defense, which struggled to get after opposing quarterbacks in 2023. With just 30 sacks, the Bears ranked 31st out of 32 teams, ahead of only the Carolina Panthers.
Though the Bears believe their pass rush will be better in 2024, with midseason trade acquisition Montez Sweat having a full offseason to adjust to his new surroundings, it sure would have been nice to have Judon as well.
However, this one just wasn't in the cards.
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