Whenever you feel bad about your favorite NFL team, you can rest assured that they are not the New York Jets.
The Jets’ contract standoff with former Eagles’ edge rusher Haason Reddick reached a critical mass on Monday when the star pass rusher requested a trade from the same organization that acquired Reddick from Philadelphia for a 2026 conditional third-round pick this spring.
While some claim it’s the second trade the disgruntled Reddick had requested this offseason, that’s not the case.
The Eagles granted Reddick and his agent Tory Dandy permission to seek a trade with the understanding that the Temple product was unhappy and looking for a significant bump from what was the final year his three-year contract signed before the 2022 season.
League sources have described Reddick’s asking price at a near $25M average annual value, a neighborhood Eagles GM Howie Roseman didn’t want to visit despite Reddick’s production.
Reddick is set to turn 30 on Sept. 22 and has played major snaps over his two seasons in Philadelphia, and dating back to his last campaign in Arizona in 2020.
Jets GM Joe Douglas, second in command to Roseman in Philadelphia on the personnel side from 2016 to 2019, has held firm against Reddick’s demands so far.
"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 statement. "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Reddick has been fined a mandatory $50,000 fine per day of missed training camp, penalties that can not be rescinded under the current CBA.
The Jets' side is that they were under the impression Reddick would play under his existing contract while the two sides negotiated sometime during the season. The organization also claims it does not negotiate with a player unless he's in camp.
Reddick, meanwhile, has refused to report until his contract for a non-guaranteed $14.25M is renegotiated.
With no guarantees left on the deal, the usual middle ground would be a Band-Aid contract, perhaps a one-year extension that guaranteed his 2024 salary with another year tacked one that got Reddick near a $20M AAV.
There is no doubt that Reddick outperformed his contract with the Eagles in 2022 and 2023 with a combined 30 1/2 sacks including the playoffs. Still, Roseman was hesitant to go where the South Jersey native wanted on another deal and instead turned to Bryce Huff, 26, with the idea of getting younger, a little more cost-effective with a longer shelf life.
The Eagles signed Huff to a three-year, $51.1M contract at the start of free agency, ironically from the Jets. Both Reddick and Josh Sweat were given permission to seek trades and when the Eagles agreed to a reworked deal with the latter, Reddick’s tenure in Philadelphia was essentially done.
