The New York Jets have not been strangers to big ticket acquisitions in recent years, adding a number of players, including future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and left tackle Tyron Smith. Mostly, those acquisitions have been for the offense, but this offseason saw the Jets add a two-time Pro Bowler and a four-time double digit sack edge rusher in the form of Haason Reddick via trade.
Since then, Reddick has essentially been a part of the team exclusively in a theoretical sense, as he has held out from team activities and been absent from team facilities altogether. While other holdouts came to a close in the days preceding opening day, Reddick’s has continued on.
For New York Jets fans, the hope has largely been that Reddick would grow tired of the growing fines and show up, ideally by opening day. For the New York Jets, they have largely insisted that they will only negotiate if he shows up, which Reddick has thus far refused to do, creating a stalemate.
Beyond that, a recent report from Diana Russini of The Athletic seems to suggest that Reddick will not be changing his demands or arriving without a new contract, at least not in the near future. Specifically, Russini wrote:
It’s been a game of chicken all summer between Haason Reddick and the Jets. Reddick wants a new deal, while the Jets have said “show up, then we’ll talk.” Reddick even requested a trade, but the Jets say that’s not happening.
While I’m told there has been communication between the player’s agency and the team, it’s considered a long shot for the team to have Reddick on Monday night against the 49ers, and it’s unclear if he’ll show up after that either. This past week, Reddick drove from his home in Camden, N.J. to Jersey City, in rush-hour traffic, to attend a charity event that was 35 minutes from the Jets facility. He didn’t swing by Florham Park.
I was told that Reddick is operating with the “mindset that he will die on this sword.”
At this point it’s all but certain that the New York Jets will open the season without Reddick. And based on Russini’s report, they may be without him for quite a bit longer as well.
