NY Jets’ Haason Reddick dilemma somehow just got even more embarrassing
The NY Jets are less than one week away from their Week 1 meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, and while their opponents seem to be getting healthy and resolving any prolonged disputes, the Jets are still without Haason Reddick.
Reddick is in the midst of an extended contract holdout and hasn’t been seen at the team’s facility since his introductory press conference in April. With just six days to go until the Jets’ season opener, it seems unlikely that Reddick will be able to play in that game.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters on Tuesday that the team has no update on Reddick’s status. Even more concerning is the fact that Saleh insisted he hasn’t even spoken to Reddick since before training camp began in July. It’s now September.
This situation is a bizarre one for all parties involved, and realistically, no one looks good here. Reddick doesn’t seem to have a logical end game while the Jets traded for a player in the middle of a contract dispute and didn’t resolve it.
There are no winners in this situation.
Are the NY Jets to blame for Haason Reddick’s holdout?
Let’s start with Reddick’s perspective. The All-Pro pass rusher is seeking a long-term extension as he enters the final year of his contract. The Jets are reportedly open to reworking Reddick’s contract to add additional incentives and guarantees, but they don’t intend to extend him before the season.
That’s partially why Reddick officially requested a trade from the Jets last month. But this trade request is more of an empty threat than anything. By all accounts, no team is willing to trade for Reddick and give him the contract he’s looking for.
This means that Reddick is essentially holding out for a contract that he isn’t going to receive. He’s overestimating his market. This isn’t a Brandon Aiyuk situation where other teams are willing to pay Reddick what he wants. He has no end game because the market isn’t there.
Reddick has already accumulated over $3 million in fines, and those fines increase dramatically as of today. He’s set to lose nearly $800,000 for every game he misses, and those fines and non-rescindable.
The Jets fully expected Reddick to show up on Tuesday. That’s what makes his stance all the more bizarre. Holding out and missing regular season games only serves to further tank his value and diminish whatever contract he eventually receives. This doesn’t help him whatsoever.
But it also doesn’t help the Jets, who come out of this situation looking rather foolish. No, the Jets shouldn’t extend Reddick, but it’s not a great look to trade for a star player who is in a very public contract dispute and then not resolve said dispute.
It’s also not a particularly great look to admit you haven’t even had contact with this player in months. The Jets aren’t willing to negotiate with Reddick until he reports, but Reddick doesn’t want to report without a new contract.
Yes, Reddick’s stance is confusing and doesn’t serve to benefit himself or the team, but you could argue the Jets should be a bit more flexible, especially given that the current regime’s jobs are on the line this year. Reddick isn’t a luxury — he’s one of the best players on the roster.
This situation only further highlights a series of missteps the Jets made regarding their defensive line this offseason. If Reddick doesn’t show up, the Jets essentially parted ways with both Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers and made zero notable additions to the unit.
Of course, this is Robert Saleh we’re talking about. The Jets’ defensive line should still be good this year. But there’s no denying they haven’t significantly downgraded this offseason.
The Jets and Haason Reddick are at a standstill. All logic has gone out the window at this point. There’s no telling how long this situation could drag out, but what we do know is that no one looks good here. Everyone loses.
