There's playing with passion, and then there's playing with whatever former New York Giants offensive tackle James Hudson plays with.
When the Giants signed Hudson to a two-year, $12 million deal last offseason, they believed they were getting a fiery swing tackle who could play spot-starter in case of emergencies. Before he even played a snap for Big Blue, he acknowledged his role, comparing himself to a closer coming in during the ninth inning to shut it down with no drop-off in production if one of the other tackles went down, and the 26-year-old needed to step in.
New York probably didn't imagine signing a player moonlighting as the heavyweight champion of the world, throwing haymakers at defenders instead of blocking them. But that's exactly what happened in Week 2, when the fiery tackle drew four penalties in the first six snaps of the game, including two personal foul penalties for roughing, opting to punch pass-rusher James Houston in the head rather than block him. He then blew up on the sideline after being benched, visibly furious with the decision... but like, duh. He was unplayable.
Interesting strategy, I'll give him that. He was cut earlier this offseason in a cap-saving move, and while his antics might’ve deterred some teams, the New England Patriots could use some fight after an uninspiring Super Bowl LX effort, signing him to a one-year deal.
James Hudson lands with Patriots after punching his way out of New York
NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported the deal on Monday afternoon:
The #Patriots are signing OL James Hudson to a 1-year deal, source said, as the former #Giants OL will add depth. pic.twitter.com/wGSggorWVs
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 23, 2026
It's unclear when the NFL will add mixed martial arts fighting to gameplay, but if they do it in 2026, the Patriots will almost assuredly jump to the top of the betting board.
In all seriousness, playing under a guy like Mike Vrabel might actually be the perfect situation for the 6-foot-5, 315-pounder. The two actually crossed paths in Cleveland in 2024, when Vrabel was a coaching and personnel consultant for the Browns. Vrabes is known as somewhat of a chaos agent himself, and with the tutelage and composure of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels also on the staff, there's a chance this is the change of scenery Hudson needed to get his career back on track.
Worst-case scenario, he becomes the swing tackle the G-Men were hoping for when they signed him. Best-case scenario, he fully embraces the cage-match energy and throws an uppercut-sized wrench into their post-Tom Brady comeback story.