It's been the lone outstanding story of training camp for the New York Jets.
The one thing they can't simply get out of talking about.
As Haason Reddick's holdout reached 31 days since the beginning of camp, the Jets have been forced to move forward without the Pro Bowl edge rusher they traded for just four months ago.
Despite the reality of missing a top edge rusher in the game, Jets head coach Robert Saleh gave an odd response when questioned Thursday about whether he's given it a thought that Reddick could actually miss regular season games.
"I don't know. Honestly, I really haven't thought about it," Saleh said.
Wait...what? The head coach of a team in a make-or-break year hasn't thought about a top-edge rusher not being in attendance on his roster?
While this could certainly be considered a political answer and Saleh has thought about how the team will respond without one of their top defenders on paper, the head coach's answer comes off as odd to begin with. It is understandable that the head coach's focus is on the players who are on the roster and in attendance more than anything else as well.
However, as the season draws ever closer, the reality is that Reddick's holdout and absence could cast a cloud on the entire 2024 Jets.
And for a team trying to limit distractions, simply pretending they aren't there won't help the problem, either.
