The Detroit Lions didn’t just have a pair of good practices last week. They completely dominated them.
Detroit hosted the Miami Dolphins for a pair of joint practices ahead of Saturday’s preseason game and the Dolphins probably wished they had been scheduled against someone else. Amon-Ra St. Brown was constantly open and the Lions defense also stepped up, holding Miami’s offense rudderless over the two day period to close training camp.
While Miami head coach Mike McDaniel dismissed the notion they needed to change their practice habits after comments made by Lions linebacker Grant Stuard, it appears that there was some self-reflection off camera that could lead to a big addition in the coming days.
Matthew Judon’s visit with the #Dolphins begins today, and the expectation is that both sides are motivated to reach a deal. https://t.co/JsAp4XH2AF
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 18, 2025
Dolphins to Sign Matthew Judon After Getting Dominated by Detroit
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Dolphins are hosting defensive end Matthew Judon for a visit on Monday. The expectation is that both sides are motivated to reach a deal and you couldn’t help at Lions fans snickering at the timing of the move.
The Dolphins defense was embarrassed last week as they failed to slow down the Lions offense. While St. Brown’s performance drew most of the headlines, the Dolphins just didn’t seem to have any juice to a pass rush that ranked 23rd with a 20.6% pressure rate and 27th with 35 sacks last season. Obviously, the Dolphins couldn’t hit Jared Goff (or any quarterback) during last week’s practices, but bringing in Judon shows some desperation.
Judon was brought in a trade at the eleventh hour by the Atlanta Falcons to solve a similar problem last season but didn’t look like the dominant player he was with the New England Patriots. While his numbers don’t look terrible with 41 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, he logged the lowest overall grade of his career (43.0) according to Pro Football Focus.
Two years removed from a torn lower bicep, Judon probably hopes he can have a second act late in his career. But at age 33, it feels like a last-ditch effort to solve a pass rush that remains broken.
Of course, the Lions have done this to many teams as they’ve risen to become an NFC power. If last week’s practice is any indication, Detroit should be able to do the same this year and compete for another division title and perhaps an appearance in the Super Bowl.