The vibes are tough right now, I get it. The Green Bay Packers are not only coming off a loss in which knocked them down the NFC North standings, but they're looking some rough injury news in the face.
Forget the fact that Micah Parsons is out for the season with a torn ACL, the Packers have several others who are in danger of missing time with the Chicago Bears rematch coming quick. But, when it comes to replacing Parsons, the Packers now have a brand-new option.
The Miami Dolphins have made multiple headlines this week as they opted to bench quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but the team also announced the release of four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Matt Judon.
As much of a recognizable name Judon is, Brian Gutekunst cannot fall trap to thinking he is a viable replacement for Parsons.
The Packers have other options instead of signing Matt Judon
First and foremost, Judon has not been good this season. He has appeared in 13 games, playing 41 percent of defensive snaps, and accounting for zero sacks and a measly seven pressures, per Pro Football Reference.
If you like other outlets such as Pro Football Focus, then he'd be up to 10 pressures on the year with a pass rush grade of 47.7 and an overall grade of just 43.3.
In a word, that's awful.
That's not the type of player Green Bay wants to sign ahead of their playoff push, and certainly not the quality of player who can even come close to replacing a Micah Parsons.
Instead, Green Bay will likely end up rolling with Brenton Cox this week, who is coming off IR. He'll be the extra body for this defense as they try and shore things up without their defensive leader in Parsons.
Rookie fifth-round pick Collin Oliver might also be returning from injury, finally, as well. So, the Packers are not short on options who already know their system.
Going into the home stretch of the season, the last thing the Packers need is a new face with a big name who has underperformed all season long. Keeping continuity is priority, here, and Judon would significantly throw a wrench into that. As much as his presence might be valuable in the locker room as a veteran guy who's seen and done a whole lot, the Packers have to steer clear.
Don't do it, Gutekunst.