Jets delay trade demand by holding out Haason Reddick

The Jets contract dispute with Haason Reddick turned into a tense turn on Monday when Reddick’s Pro Bowl edge rusher officially sought a trade however, he was publicly rejected by the general Manager Joe Douglas.

By Rich Cimini

Aug 12, 2024 07:16 PM

The New York Jets ‘ contract standoff with Haason Reddick took an ugly turn Monday, as the Pro Bowl edge rusher officially requested a trade. The Jets fired back immediately with a strongly worded statement, saying they have no intention of satisfying his demand.

“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,” general manager Joe Douglas said in the 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 dissatisfied with his contract, not attended training for 21 days camp and has been charged a $50k fine each day. In total, excluding the fines and bonus money lost due to an off-season incentive, the standoff has cost Reddick $1.7 million.

This is an unusual circumstance as he was acquired through an exchange that took place just four months ago. Reddick hasn’t had a chance to practice one single day in the Jets. He’s been to their training facility just once – to perform a physical as well as an introduction announcement on the morning of April Fool’s Day.

In the middle of March the Jets swapped a 2026 conditional third-round draft pick with the Philadelphia Eagles for the two-time Pro Bowler. They believed that he’d be playing according to his current contract, as per sources however, the issue became a problem after Reddick was absent for the entire offseason, which included the mandatory minicamps.

The Jets don’t want to discuss a player’s contract unless they’re in camp, the sources said and Reddick isn’t reporting until his contract is extended. This is the second request for trade in the past six months.

Reddick 29 years old is set to receive an unguaranteed $14.25 million as base pay. This is the final year of a three-year, $45 million deal which he signed with Eagles as an unrestricted player-in-residence in 2022. Reddick felt that he outperformed the terms of his contract and would like to sign an agreement that is comparable to the best edge rushers. That’s why the Eagles made the decision to trade for him during the offseason, despite his impressive performance.

It is believed that the Houston Texans’ Danielle Hunter 29 who has produced the same amount of sacks as Reddick in the past two seasons (27 each) has signed an two-year, $49 million agreement in free agency. Reddick could be eyeing the same number.

In the past four seasons, Reddick has recorded 50.5 sacks, which ranks fourth in the league during the span.

After losing the sack head coach Bryce Huff to the Eagles in free agency and the Jets came in to make a trade for Reddick as one of a few major acquisitions for 2024. It’s interesting that the Jets did not bind Reddick’s deal during the trade, but sources said they did prolong his deal. The amount they offered isn’t known but it’s likely that they fell just short of the guarantees Reddick is seeking.

Then following the meeting, the Jets later told Reddick that they’d prefer to revisit the contract later in the season, or possibly following the season, sources told reporters, and the team was shocked Reddick did not show for any workouts that he had volunteered to attend.

There is no comment from Reddick or his representatives have offered any comment.

Reddick was the fourth player of Douglas to ask for an exchange. Other players included the safety Jamal Adams, wide receiver Denzel Mims and wide receiver Elijah Moore. Every player was eventually traded.

Reddick has amassed $1.05 million in fines after he skipped 21 days of training camp, as specified in the collective bargaining agreement. As a rule, fines cannot be reversed. The judge also imposed around $300,000 in fines that are discretionary, according to a clause within the CBA.

In the spring, Reddick’s absence from the minicamp was a cause for an unavoidable $100,000 fine. In addition, he lost the workout bonus of $250,000 by abstaining from the gym during offseason.

The Jets have huge plans for Reddick who turns 30 on September. 20. Reddick is expected to begin at defensive end of their front four, and replace John Franklin Myers whom they traded for the Denver Broncos. Micheal Clemons and Will McDonald have split time during training camp.