The New York Jets made a great effort to bolster the defense ahead of the 2024 season.
New York went out and acquired linebacker Haason Reddick after spending the previous two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Reddick was a superstar in Philadelphia. He was a Pro Bowler in each of the two seasons with the Eagles and tallied 27 sacks over that stretch.
Unfortunately, the move didn't work out in New York's favor. It's not the Jets' fault, but he held out for a while and then even when he did return didn't have much of an impact on the field finishing with one sack in 10 games.
Now, Reddick is heading to free agency and he will be one of the better linebackers on the market despite a down year. Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron floated the Detroit Lions among the top options for Reddick.
"Potential Landing Spots: Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions," Cameron said. "Following a season-ending injury to Aidan Hutchinson, Lions general manager Brad Holmes reportedly checked to see if a deal could be reached to acquire the disgruntled Reddick. However, a trade never materialized, in part due to a clause in the original trade agreement that would require New York to send a 2026 second-round pick to Philadelphia if the Jets were to send Reddick back to the NFC. With Reddick slated to hit free agency and that no longer being a problem, Holmes may again try his luck at bringing in the former second-team All-Pro."
Reddick is just 30 years old and can be a dominant player, things just didn't work out in New York in 2024.
