The Buffalo Bills are adding veteran firepower to their defense as they prepare for a late-season playoff push.
According to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Jordan Schultz, the Bills intend to sign edge rusher Matthew Judon to their practice squad after hosting him for a visit on Friday. The move comes just days after Judon was released by the Miami Dolphins following their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“The Bills hosted veteran edge Matthew Judon today and they intend to sign him to their practice squad,” Rapoport reported. “Potential help for the playoff push from the former Dolphin.”
Buffalo is set to face the 3–11 Cleveland Browns on Sunday, a team expected to be without key contributors such as cornerback Denzel Ward and tight end David Njoku. While Cleveland deals with injuries, the Bills are reinforcing their roster with a proven pass rusher.
Judon, 33, joined the Dolphins this season after a one-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons, where he recorded 5.5 sacks. His time in Miami was less productive, as he appeared in 13 games and totaled 17–19 tackles, three quarterback hits, and no sacks, depending on statistical sources. Miami ultimately opted to move on, giving Judon the opportunity to land with another AFC East contender.
Despite a quiet 2025 campaign, Judon’s résumé speaks for itself. A fifth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Grand Valley State product earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2019. He later became a star with the New England Patriots, where he was selected to two Pro Bowls and posted back-to-back dominant seasons with 12.5 sacks in 2021 and a career-best 15.5 sacks in 2022.
Overall, Judon is a four-time Pro Bowler with 72 career sacks across stints with the Ravens, Patriots, Falcons, and Dolphins.
His tenure in New England ended amid a contract dispute and a season-ending biceps injury in 2023. The Patriots traded him to Atlanta in August 2024 for a future third-round pick, a selection they later turned into multiple draft assets. Now, Judon could find himself facing his former team if Buffalo activates him and he’s on the roster for the regular-season finale on Jan. 4.
If elevated from the practice squad, Judon would join a deep Bills pass-rushing group that already includes Joey Bosa, Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa, and Javon Solomon. Bosa currently leads the NFL in forced fumbles, and Rousseau has been a consistent presence off the edge, giving Buffalo one of the league’s more formidable fronts.
While questions remain about how much Judon has left in the tank at this stage of his career, the move represents a low-risk, high-reward gamble for general manager Brandon Beane, who has a history of monitoring veteran talent around the league.
For a Bills team eyeing a deep postseason run, adding a seasoned defender with playoff experience and proven production could pay dividends down the stretch.
