The New York Jets are in quite the pickle with Haason Reddick, as the edge rusher has not reported to training camp after being acquired by the team in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in March.
However, in spite of speculation that the Jets could ultimately trade Reddick, they will not be doing so.
General manager Joe Douglas says that the team has already informed Reddick that it will not be trading him.
“We have informed Haason that we will not trade him, that he is expected to be here with his teammates, and that he will continue to be fined per the CBA if he does not report,” Douglas said in a release, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “Since the trade discussions back in March, we have been clear, direct, and consistent with our position. Our focus will remain on the guys we have here as we prepare for the regular season.”
Reddick has one year remaining on his deal and is looking for an extension. The Jets seem to be under the impression that they had an agreement with the star pass rusher that they would not be locking him up to a long-term deal, but clearly, Reddick feels otherwise.
This is either some pretty severe miscommunication or a major attempt at a power play on the part of Reddick, who is slated to earn $14.3 million in base salary this year.
Haason Reddick is integral to the Jets’ defense
The Jets lost breakout pass rusher Bryce Huff to the Eagles in free agency, but they replaced him with Reddick, who should be viewed as an upgrade.
Reddick has been one of the best pass rushers in football over the last several seasons and is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he registered 38 tackles and 11 sacks en route to his second straight Pro Bowl appearance.
The 29-year-old’s best season came in 2022, when he racked up 49 tackles, 16 sacks and five forced fumbles. He finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting for his efforts.
Reddick is a bit of a late bloomer. He began his career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2017 but did not break out until his fourth season, when he rattled off 12.5 sacks. He then spent one year with the Carolina Panthers in 2021, finishing with 68 tackles and 11 sacks before joining Philadelphia.
It doesn’t seem likely that Reddick would want to sit out all of 2024 with free agency on tap, especially given that the Temple product turns 30 years old next month.
Taking that into consideration, Haason Reddick’s leverage with the Jets seems limited.
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