Sun, sand and leisure aren't the reasons Matt Judon is in South Beach.
The four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher's had enough rest and relaxation waiting to sign with a new squad. He's ready to make up for lost time with the Miami Dolphins in the hopes of bolstering what he sees as an already-stellar pass-rushing unit.
"It ain't about kind of coming down here and enjoying myself and relaxing," Judon said Wednesday, via the team transcript. "I had enough time while everybody was at camp to relax and views. It's about the work I put in, coming in here and hurrying up and getting acclimated with the system, learning kind of the locker room traditions and the culture that they are building around here. Kind of just figuring out where I'm going to be, how I'm going to be and how I'm going to play."
Judon's set to play for the fourth team of his decade-long NFL career and his third in as many seasons.
The 33-year-old's coming off a 5.5-sack season with the Atlanta Falcons after an unceremonious divorce via trade with the New England Patriots.
Judon played his first five seasons for the Baltimore Ravens, going to the Pro Bowl in 2019-2020 and making it four straight all-star trips over his first two years with the Patriots. He suffered a biceps tear that wiped out all but four games of his 2023 campaign with the Pats. Last year started with Judon disgruntled with New England as he vied for a contract extension, ending with his eventual trade to the Falcons.
By most accounts, Judon's prime days appear to be in the rear view, but he's made it clear he's not looking for a retirement spot in Miami.
He wants to work hard, he wants to contribute and he wants to bolster an edge-rushing unit he believes is already fierce with Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and Chop Robinson.
"I think I kind of got to follow the lead of the guys that have been here," Judon said. "'JP' and Chubb, they also have a body of work they've put on tape. From afar I've been watching those guys and we kind of know each other off the field as well. I think that's a big thing; I don't have to come in here and be the guy right away. I can let them guys go out and do what they do and I can just plug and play. However they see me fit or however they see us all four working together, especially Chop, he's coming into his own. I'm not here to step on no toes or nothing like that. However they see me playing -- that's going to be a week-to-week thing, but it's never a bad thing to have more than one rusher."
Judon explained that he views joining the Dolphins as "a good situation" for himself despite the team already possessing weapons off the edge.
So, the proverbial "meet at the quarterback" plan is underway. He feels that the talent collective will bode well, but first comes the work.
That was his biggest message during his first news conference as a Miami Dolphin: It's time to put in some work. The time for rest and relaxation ended when he signed his one-year deal.
"For sure, you can't game-plan nobody and if you got to chip both ends, that's great for us," he said. "Then we have a guy in (Zach) Sieler that can go get it himself. The inside, outside is going to help. We've just got to see how every week pans out, untapped potential. You can talk about it, it can look good on paper, but right now, we got to go out there and put the work in, everybody collectively and then we've got to understand how we all rush together."
