New England linebacker Matthew Judon walks onto the field during a joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday in Foxborough, Mass. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Eagles running back Saquon Barkley burst through the Patriots front line around midfield and was headed to the end zone.

A yard or two shy from taking it to the house, he was caught from behind by an oncoming freight train.

Joint practice or not, Matthew Judon wasn’t about to let Barkley race in scot-free. The red-sleeved linebacker ultimately caught the Pro-Bowl back, and with a hard jab, punched the ball loose.

Was that a message for potential suitors?

Or, his current employer?

Perhaps it was something to the tune of: Pay me!

Judon, of course, has been locked in a contract dispute with the Patriots. According to an ESPN report Monday, “multiple teams” have inquired about trading for the Patriots star edge rusher. Putting it into context, a source told MassLive.com those inquiries were teams simply doing due diligence, and essentially kicking the tires on a possible trade.

That makes sense. No doubt teams are seeing if they can fleece the Patriots and land an asset, given the stalemate between Judon and the team. Whether or not the Patriots want to move their disgruntled star remains to be seen. They might not be inclined to part ways at this point.

The veteran defender, who due a base salary of $6.5 million in the final year of his contract, has let it be known on several occasions that figure isn’t suitable.

A few weeks back, on the first day of padded practices, Judon’s animated exchanges with both Coach Jerod Mayo and de facto GM Eliot Wolf turned into a spectacle.

On Monday, defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington said Judon’s contract status hasn’t impacted what he’s seen from the linebacker on the field. He chalked up Judon’s earlier behavior to having a bad day at the office. He’s been engaged ever since.

“He’s been the same for us,” Covington said. “I always stay out of those conversations, but for the defensive staff, he’s been Judon. He’s been great in the classroom. He’s been great for us on the practice field. And I look at it like this: We all have bad days, right? Unfortunately for him, his bad day will be on camera. Everybody got to see it. Other than that, the guy has been who he’s been since we signed him. I have nothing but respect and love for Judon and what he can and will do for this team.”

The Barkley play wasn’t Judon’s only highlight during the joint practice session with the Eagles. He was all over the field trying to break up plays, or get to Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

“He does that every day in practice, you know what I mean? High-motor guy,” teammate Jabril Peppers said of Judon. “He is who we need him to be every day we come out here. So he’s going to continue to do that and we’re going to follow his lead.”

The Patriots do need Judon’s presence on the field. They need his pass rush ability and leadership. But at age 32, they don’t seem compelled to work out a long-term extension – something they’ve had no problem doing with others.

Perhaps the Patriots will bump up his salary for this year, or, if they get enough value in return, trade him either now, or before the trade deadline. It’s basically an ongoing saga.

Judon had said on a recent podcast that he wrote out his own proposal to the Patriots and was awaiting a response. He also said he would play on his contract if necessary, but believed it didn’t reflect his value.

While he didn’t play in the team’s first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, he was caught on camera, giving linebacker Oshane Ximines some pointers while in Jerod Mayo’s presence.

“He was dialed in, excited for the players,” Mayo said when asked earlier in the week about the moment, “and he was coaching them up. No complaints from me.”

While the media had requested to speak with Judon on Tuesday, he apparently declined.

He did his talking on the field.