FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Matthew Judon is officially missing in action. A day after the New England Patriots star pass rusher put together a public display of dissatisfaction -- likely surrounding his contract that featured animated on-field conversations with head coach Jerod Mayo and later front office leads Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh, Judon was not present during Tuesday's training camp session, the sixth practice of the summer and second in full pads.
On Monday, Judon took the field, albeit in a red sweatshirt and no pads or helmet. As we noted previously, he then watched his teammates practice while sitting on cushions and trash barrels before seemingly being sent off by Mayo, only to reemerge later to speak with Wolf and Groh. Of course, we don't know the specifics of those conversations, but Judon's animations led most observers to come away that they were combative talks.
With the dust settled on the day, it was curious to see what Tuesday would bring as it related to Judon. After all, this isn't Bill Belichick's Patriots. This was one of the first disciplinary decisions of Mayo's young coaching tenure, so we stood to wonder how it'd shake out. Would he be back on the field in pads? Would he again not participate? Would he be there at all?
As the Patriots began stretching and rolled into practice, Judon was nowhere to be found.
Because Mayo was not scheduled to speak with reporters Tuesday, it's unclear what led to Judon's absence, whether it be a team suspension or a decision on the player's part, or something entirely different. In any event, he wasn't there. But where do the two sides go from here?
From a Patriots perspective, it's a tricky situation in more ways than one. On paper, the 2024 club is worse off without Judon in the lineup, especially after losing defensive lineman Christian Barmore (blood clots) indefinitely. That said, if Mayo is trying to establish a larger culture in Foxborough as he enters his first year as head coach, how would it look if he ended up rewarding the player with a revamped contract after what has just transpired? What precedent does that establish?
The waters are extremely murky as we try to decipher what's next for both the Patriots and Judon, but the longer this goes without some sort of resolution, the more the door opens for things to grow even more toxic.
Here are some other news and nuggets from Tuesday's session:
Offense going through growing pains
For the second day in a row, it was the offense that was forced to take a lap. The unit has gone through growing pains this summer, and Tuesday's session was a continuation of dominance from the defense. Even late in practice as the coaching staff pitted the units against one another deep in the red zone with the losing squad forced to do pushups, the offense was tasked with the extra conditioning. At one point during those competitive drills, some miscommunication between quarterback Drake Maye and running back Kevin Harris on a hand-off resulted in the ball hitting the ground with cornerback Marco Wilson picking it up for the scoop-and-score.
Specifically, as it relates to the quarterbacks, it wasn't an eye-popping day for either Maye or Jacoby Brissett. I had Brissett completing 7 of his 15 passes on the day, while Maye was 8-for-15 passing in those competitive drills.
Extended run for Maye
While it wasn't an awe-inspiring day for the No. 3 overall pick, it seemed New England gave him a little extra run. Mostly, he and Brissett would have the same amount of reps during a specific period while the personnel shuffled in around them. That said, there was one period when Maye was on the field for 11 consecutive plays, which was the most I've seen him or any other quarterback take in at a single time.
Wide receiver battle heats up
One of the main points of emphasis the Patriots made this offseason was trying to improve their wide receiver room. They doubled dipped at the NFL Draft, signed K.J. Osborn in free agency, and even tried (and failed) to reel in a true No. 1 in Calvin Ridley. While this receiver group won't be confused with some around the league with sky-high ceilings, there's decent competition at the moment. Rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker have both flashed and should be considered roster locks. If we consider those two, along with DeMario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne (barring that he's healthy) as locks to make the roster, we're looking at a handful of players for what could be two spots.
From a veteran standpoint, Osborn has been solid for the bulk of camp, while it's been rather muted for JuJu Smith-Schuster outside of a touchdown reception Tuesday. Jalen Reagor and Tyquan Thornton are two receivers who have made waves at camp with some strong catches as they push for one of those spots.
Ja'Lynn Polk emerging
As we talk about a wide receiver competition at the bottom of the depth chart, it is worth pointing out that Polk is putting together a couple of strong practices. In my evaluation, the rookie second-rounder has been their best receiver in camp, including Tuesday's session where he was a go-to target in the red zone. I had him catching two touchdowns on the day, one from Brissett and the other from Joe Milton III.
David Andrews missing again
For the second practice in a row, David Andrews was not present. It's unclear what is keeping the longtime captain off the field, but his absence has been felt down the depth chart. With him out, Nick Leverett has been working as the starting center with Atonio Mafi coming in behind him and largely working with Maye. Those snaps -- specifically out of the shotgun -- have been erratic and haven't helped the rookie settle in.
Continuity along the offensive line
Yes, there is still some shuffling as practice goes on, but the starting offensive line seems to be taking shape. Over the last couple of practices with the pads on, the line has stayed the same, albeit without David Andrews at the starting center position. From left to right, the line consisted of Caedan Wallace, Sidy Sow, Nick Leverett, Mike Onwenu, and Chukwuma Okorafor.
Peppers and Mapu taking mental reps
Peppers suffered some sort of lower-body injury during Monday's practice and did not participate Tuesday. He was spotted wearing some sort of compression sleeve on his left leg, so that may be where the injury could reside. Despite not physically suiting up, Peppers, alongside his teammate Marte Mapu (also sidelined), was seen behind the defense during competitive drills going through mental reps. Peppers and Mapu could be seen calling out plays -- specifically during red zone drills -- and keeping their minds fresh as their bodies rest up.
