When Will This End?

The Haason Reddick stalemate has gone too far

The Haason Reddick saga continues on as a battle of wills is happening between Joe Douglas and Haason Reddick. The problem with this situation is the Jets GM Joe Douglas has not spoken with Reddick since the trade went down on April 1st. Other notable holdouts (i.e. Jamar Chase, Cee Dee Lamb and others) have been at their facilities, even walking the sidelines at training camp. Some have sat in on meetings and talked with their coaches. Reddick has done none of that. I don’t know if he has any knowledge of the Jets defensive playbook.

This is not good, and I have been writing about this since the draft. I am not a fan of trading for a player who wants a new contract without resigning him first.

This is a game of chicken between a stubborn Reddick and a GM who made a poor decision to trade for a player who was very open about wanting a new contract. To put it bluntly, this is far more problematic for Joe Douglas than Haason Reddick. Reddick made it abundantly clear to the Eagles he wanted a new and much more lucrative contract. Joe Douglas knew this before the trade. To trade for Reddick without a firm contract in hand is an egregious error which a rookie GM could have made, but Joe has been here for years. I understand that every player has a limited time frame to play this great game, so when they want to be paid what they’re worth, I have no problem with it.

There were many red flags with Reddick before the trade. The fact that Reddick played for three teams in four years as an elite pass rusher is a huge red flag. Great edge rushers are rarely allowed to enter the open market since they are so valuable. They are usually tied up with long term contracts, and only leave once they are “over the hill.”

You have to wonder why Reddick was let go by teams after a 12.5 sack season while with the Arizona Cardinals, 11 sack season with the Carolina Panthers, and 16 and 11 sack seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. You have to wonder about Reddick’s place in the locker room. I have not seen a single player come out in defense of Reddick in his quest for a new contract. Sometimes silence is louder than a shouting voice.

With Reddick not in camp or in meetings he has missed out on vital chances to work within the framework of the Jets defense. Players develop a working relationship on the practice field (with numerous snaps) to fine-tune their maneuvers.

Defense in football is a game played by a team. The squad that works the best together with some premium athletes are nearly always the best defenses. Great defenses are choreographed to allow the best players to shine. They create mismatches and force teams to make difficult plays to succeed. A player with little working knowledge of a defense cannot fully attain his worth to his teammates while playing as an individual rather than as a teammate.

Is Reddick worth the money he wants?

The answer to that is yeah he is; or right now he is but he has red flags.

I remember Reddick coming out in the 2017 NFL draft. He was a draft community darling of sorts. Physically he was awesome. At the NFL draft combine he was quick, fast and strong. Reddick ran a 4.52/40, had a 133” broad jump and bench pressed 24 reps. Yet he was small for a defensive end at 6’ 1 1/2” and 237 pounds. He had poor length at 32 1/2”. He also played at Temple (not a hotbed of great football).

I had TJ Watt rated a little higher because he was bigger at 6’ 4 1/2” and 252 pounds, with better length and huge hands, plus he played in the Big Ten, which may be the most physical league in college football. The knock on TJ was he was a one year wonder. I guess that was kind of silly considering how things turned out.

I thought both players would be productive, but Watt developed so quickly, he got even stronger and his technique, especially with his hands, got so much better. He totally out-performed my estimation of him.

Reddick was the 13th overall pick (Watt went at #30) by the Arizona Cardinals, and he struggled early in his career. He struggled so much that he had the “bust” label placed on him by many. He started only three games his rookie season, with 36 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. 2018 was better, with 12 games started and 80 tackles but only 4 sacks. He slipped back in 2019, starting only five games with 76 tackles but only a single sack.

The Arizona defense was not using Reddick as a traditional rush linebacker or defensive end, but more as a base inside linebacker. A change came in 2020, as Reddick was moved outside, where he totaled 63 tackles and 12.5 sacks. He was quick, fast and overcame his poor length by using speed and quick active hands to swipe away offensive linemen’s arms as he raced around the arc.

In 2021 Reddick signed a one year contract for $8 million with the Carolina Panthers to work opposite newcomer Brian Burns.

In 2022 Reddick signed a $45 million/3 year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles with $30 million guaranteed. There is no more guaranteed money left on the final year of his contract, which was inherited by the Jets, although as a veteran he will have a fully guaranteed contract if he is on the roster for the first regular season game.

Why does Reddick want more?

If Reddick plays on his current contract, he would receive $14.25 million. Reddick forfeited $50,000 for every day of camp he skipped, plus a $100,000 fine for skipping minicamp and the $250,000 workout bonus he forfeited from skipping voluntary offseason workouts. Plus the Jets can add additional fines since he has been a no show at camp.

Reddick realizes at age 30 he is not getting any younger, and his window to make money is closing. He can bet on himself, but he would be 31 next year with contract problems in his past. The Jets are Reddick’s fourth team in the last five years, so if he moves on that would make five teams in six years.

As a veteran player if he is on the Jets roster the first week of the season his salary will be fully guaranteed. If he skips the 49ers game, Reddick will forfeit $791,666, and his contract will stay non-guaranteed for the rest of the season.

This is what Joe Douglas is counting on. If Reddick is a no show for the first game the Jets owe him nothing guaranteed on his contract. He would still be able to draw his current salary if he came back to the team during the season and get paid accordingly. Yet the Jets could cut him at any time (if he misses week 1) and owe him nothing.

Reddick sees Edge rushers getting paid

Nick Bosa $34 Million a year average

Josh Allen $28.25 Million Average

Brian Burns $28.2 Million average

T. J. Watt $28 Million average

Miles Garrett $25 Million average

Montez Sweat $24.5 Million average

Danielle Hunter $24.5 Million average

Rashan Gary $24 Million average

Maxx Crosby $23.5 Million average

Bradley Chubb $22 Million average

Trey Hendrickson $21 Million average

Joey Bosa $20.2 Million average

Von Miller $19.1 Million average

Khalil Mack $19 Million average

Jonathan Greenard $19 Million average

Harold Landry $17.5 Million average

Bryce Huff $17 Million average

Alex Highsmith $17 Million average

Uchenna Nwosu $15 Million average

This is why Reddick finds his salary undervalued. He has averaged 12.6 sacks a year over the last four season, which outperforms many of the players being paid more than him.

What will be the outcome?

The key to this is the guaranteed money. The Jets know for Reddick to have his $791,666 game check each week guaranteed, he must be on the roster for the first game. They are counting on it. If he doesn’t show up they owe him nothing; it also puts egg on the face of Joe Douglas, and rightfully so.

What if Reddick comes in before the first game without re-signing?

If Reddick shows up without a new contract this is not a great win for the Jets. It doesn’t help the Jets in any way; it might in fact hurt the Jets. Reddick has been at no practices and has no knowledge of the Jets defense. He will be playing as a hired gun who has no respect for the Jets defensive philosophy, of which he has little knowledge.

Defense is a game played by a team, not individuals. In order for a defense to be elite it must have all its players on the same page at all times.

Summary

Joe Douglas is at fault here. You can’t trade away John Franklin-Myers and allow Bryce Huff to leave your team without having anyone to replace them. The Jets in 2024 are all in for a Super Bowl run. Anything less is unacceptable.

Reddick will come in before the season starts, I can almost guarantee it. Yet what kind of teammate will he be? How effective can he be in the defense without practicing a single day? This is a problem.

The Jets have been all in on a Super Bowl run after the last down of the 2023 season. Any situation that impedes that is a detriment to the team and its goals.

Hopefully everything works out.

But we are Jets fans; it never seems to work out.