The New York Jets are no strangers to crazy storylines. In fact, they seem to invite it at times.
However, that was supposed to be different in 2024.
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After a tumultuous 2023, the Jets operated with the promise of only focusing on football in 2024. With key additions in the offseason and Aaron Rodgers back in the fold, New York was, and is, fully set up to compete at the highest level in 2024.
But they have a major issue that has spiraled into somewhat of a controversy.
The Haason Reddick situation
How the Jets arrived at their current situation with edge rusher Haason Reddick is a lesson on proactivity and projection in the NFL. It is also a long and winding road.
Before the 2023 season, New York had a chance to extend former UDFA edge rusher Bryce Huff. While not having the flashiest numbers in the box score, Huff’s underlying metrics showed that he was one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL on a per-snap basis. At a premium position, New York had an opportunity to get ahead of the market.
However, the Jets opted not to be proactive. They sat on their hands and decided to play roulette with the Huff situation in 2023. Huff proceeded to put up double-digit sacks and firmly solidify himself as one of the best pure rushers in the NFL. The 26-year-old then cashed in with a new three-year, $51 million contract from the Philadelphia Eagles, as the Jets did not have the cap space to truly match the deal.
With Huff out the door, New York needed a closer on the edge. Yes, they still had the talented Jermaine Johnson. Yes, they still had former first-round pick Will McDonald. But in a win-now year, the Jets needed a proven talent to rack up sacks.
Ironically, New York found their match with the team that signed away Huff.
Haason Reddick, a stalwart on Philadelphia’s defense for multiple seasons, was looking for a new deal ahead of his looming free agency. He had just come off a fourth straight season of double-digit sacks and desired a pay raise to be on par with the top players at his position.
Knowing this, Philadelphia opted to reset the clock and sign Huff. New York, on the other hand, let Huff go and traded a conditional 2026 third-round pick in exchange for Reddick.
Should New York have just signed the younger player and moved forward? Yes. Should they have even let the situation get to where it did? No.
Huff was arguably the smarter choice for New York, but that included looking at the long-term implications. The Jets are operating on a short-term, Aaron Rodgers-based window. In their eyes, trading for Reddick, the more developed and established player, was a better decision for a team looking to compete for a Super Bowl in 2024.
The move makes sense from this perspective; Reddick fits perfectly in Robert Saleh’s scheme and can serve as the closer for a defense that has a chance to be the best in the league. Even letting Huff walk would allow the Jets to replicate, if not surpass, his production.
The issues started to arise following the move.
Reddick gave a post-trade press conference but then was not present for OTAs. He then did not report for the first week of training camp. Or the second. Or the third.
Eventually, the situation devolved to a point where Reddick requested a trade, arguably his last leverage play against the Jets. But what exactly caused this rift?
If you listen to some reporters sharing the Jets’ side or the Jets themselves, they will say that Reddick agreed to play on his current deal in 2024. The Jets would guarantee his contract and revisit negotiations after the season, mainly due to the tight cap situation the team is currently in.
Once Reddick decided not to report to the team, the team said Reddick had broken his word and that the team would not negotiate with him until he reported. This is a very hardline stance (and a confusing one, considering a lack of extensions for players at the facility such as Michael Carter II).
If you listen to Reddick’s camp or the reporters sharing his side, the Jets promised Reddick an extension before the trade. Once Reddick declined the team’s first offer, New York did not negotiate further, prompting the holdout and standstill today.
Like most things, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle. There was likely an agreement between both sides before the trade, and talks likely broke down after a declined first offer. From there, Reddick was likely frustrated and saw leverage to use once John Franklin-Myers was traded.
The Jets were likely frustrated that their prized trade addition was playing hardball. New York, with their current cap position, is not in a position to dole out a deal that hits Reddick’s rumored demands of $25 million per year, despite his contract demands being known before the trade.
Regarding the stances, though, there is plenty of blame to be shared for allowing the situation to get to this point.
Who is at fault?
Earlier on in training camp, I placed a large amount of blame on Joe Douglas and the Jets. However, the pie is a bit more even heading into September.
Haason Reddick and his camp are at fault for not at least reporting to the facility. With the NFL’s current CBA, staging a traditional holdout is not beneficial. The fines can be extreme and eventually result in the player losing money equivalent to game checks.
Instead, a hold-in has become the go-to move; the player can still be at the facility to negotiate, but he does not need to practice. San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk recently staged a hold-in before eventually agreeing to a deal.
This option would have been much more beneficial for Reddick. He could have immediately removed the Jets’ most significant talking point of not negotiating with a player not at the facility. Being around Robert Saleh and the team could have also made the coaching staff put pressure on the front office to get the deal done faster. Ultimately, it seems like a bad move from Reddick’s agent to lose millions of dollars and not even give yourself a chance to get a deal done.
Furthermore, Reddick’s asking price is exorbitant for the Jets’ current position. New York, by no means, can pay Reddick the amount of money he wants; they simply do not have the cap space to execute the deal in the present or future. Caving to Reddick’s demands would also hurt the team’s ability to extend its stars, such as Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner.
Even with Reddick taking up blame, the Jets are still on the hook for most of it.
On the surface, Douglas is the one that should receive the majority of the blame. He botched the Huff situation, which caused the whole Reddick saga to occur in the first place. He has drawn a hard line in the sand and has been unwilling to waver from his stance, despite not signing a player like Michael Carter II, who has fit all of the requisites Douglas has publicly stated.
This has been made worse by the fact that Douglas refuses to establish any contact with Reddick’s camp at all. The Reddick situation is separate from the other contract and draft-related gaffes the Jets have made in previous years.
There is a possibility, though, that the situation goes deeper. It makes no sense that, in a win-now season, Douglas would not want to pay Reddick. His job, along with Robert Saleh’s job, is on the line; why would they not want to put their best team on the field immediately?
It is unknown how much of an impact he has, but this is where Woody Johnson could come into play. While the cap situation is arguably set for this season, the Jets’ owner may be reluctant to use any sort of cap space beyond 2024.
It makes sense that Johnson would not want to commit to much beyond this season; there is no guarantee that this regime will last beyond 2024. It also makes sense that Johnson would not want to dole out a significant extension to Reddick. As a result, there is a chance this is making negotiations more difficult.
However, the likely battle in this situation comes down to Reddick and Joe Douglas. The lines have been drawn, and each side is firm in their stance. The most important question, though, is how it can be resolved.
What is the resolution?
The Haason Reddick situation must end through a mending of bridges.
Both sides need each other considerably, as Reddick’s edge production will elevate the team’s defense, which will allow Reddick to cash out.
Nobody benefits from the saga dragging out into the regular season. It is a distraction that takes away from a Jets team with championship aspirations.
One solution could be for the Jets to start negotiations with Reddick again and look to add guarantees to his current deal. Another would be Reddick reporting and significantly lowering his asking price. A third would be Woody opening the checkbook for a future year, easing the cap hit in 2024. Regardless of how it is accomplished, the saga needs to end as soon as possible.
Until it does, though, one thing is for sure. In a season filled with promise, the Hasson Reddick situation is a bad look for everyone involved.
