After a prolonged holdout, New York Jets defensive end Haason Reddick reported to the team facility on Monday. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich described him as “fired up” to return.
However, ESPN’s New York Jets beat reporter, Rich Cimini, isn’t buying it. The veteran writer voiced strong opinions about the situation on the “Flight Deck Podcast.”
“[Jeff] Ulbrich was just raving about Reddick and how he is fired up – this is a joke. I mean, he is not here for the team. He is here for himself, he is here to get a few sacks, to improve his reputation, and go into free agency in the offseason and cash in. He doesn’t give a damn about the Jets, the uniform, about the logo; he is not emotionally invested in this team,” Cimini explained.”
“It’s Reddick incorporated. He is a personal contractor,” Cimini added. It’s not about the team; it’s about him! If I were Ulbrich, I wouldn’t play him. I mean, the guy skipped the entire offseason because he wanted more money. Now he shows up, you know, seven [to] eight weeks in just so he can get his season credited and become a free agent. The Jets don’t need another guy like that.”
He did not stop there.
“He is not going to play the run. He is just going to go all out to get sacks so he can pad his stats and cash in free agency. This really bothers me, as you can tell, I just think it is a bad situation and they’re just enabling him. They talk about accountability? I mean, come on,” Cimini continued. “I just think it sends a bad message. It really does.”
While it remains unclear what Reddick will bring to the table, it is certainly clear that many fans and media members are not optimistic about his outlook with the team. On Wednesday, fans on social media criticized Reddick’s physique after seeing him on-field for the first time.
It is not yet official, but Reddick is expected to make his Jets debut this Sunday against the New England Patriots, where he will aim to silence his critics.
