USA TODAY Sports
Ravens linebacker Matthew Judon responded to a post he did not appreciate with an exaggerated threat to release photos of the reporter in a strip club. Judon’s agent declined to comment. ESPN issued a statement Thursday afternoon.
“We stand by Jamison Hensley’s reporting, and Hensley added Matt Judon’s perspective within the story,” an ESPN spokesman emailed PFT. “Regardless, the personal attacks on him since then have been completely unsolicited.”
Judon indeed removed the tweet with the threat to release photos of Hensley in a strip club. Some have wondered if the threat of extortion is in violation of the law. Others were shocked, as Hensley had every right to go to a strip club if he wanted to.
The incident becomes noticeable because such extreme reactions are rare. If that kind of threat was ever justified (and it’s hard to imagine a situation it would be in), it was far more than Hensley’s report on Judon’s alleged rejection of a long-term offer would justify.
The Ravens have still not responded to a request for comment on the matter. They currently have to decide whether to apply the franchise label to Judon if they are unable to sign him on a long-term agreement before the window for applying the label closes on 9 March.
Because the Ravens marked Judon in 2020, its franchise tender for 2021 would be determined by applying a 20 percent increase. That would increase his salary from $ 16,808 million last year to $ 20.17 million this year.