Haason Reddick, the New York Jets’ largest acquisition of the offseason, is skipping OTAs as he continues to wait for a new, long-term contract.
Throughout the process, he has had little communication with his new team, as head coach Robert Saleh said on Tuesday that he has not had any conversations with the Pro Bowl pass rusher.
“I’m focused on the guys who are here and Haason is a pro,” Saleh said. “He’s been in this league a while. He’s produced at a very high level for a long time. He’s got his routine and if it makes people feel better, we know where he’s at, we know what he’s doing and we know he’s working his tail off to get where he needs to get you to have a productive ’24 season.”
Reddick is one of the top edge rushers in all of football, recording 50.5 sacks over the past four seasons. Only T.J. Watt (62), Myles Garrett (58), and Trey Hendrickson (53) have more during that span. But his desire for a new contract prompted the Philadelphia Eagles to move on from him, trading him to the Jets in March for a conditional third-round pick.
The 29-year-old’s desire for a new contract was well known by Jets general manager Joe Douglas upon trading for him and it is understandable as to why Reddick wants a new deal. He carries a $15 million cap hit in 2024, which ranks 14th among all edge rushers in the NFL, per Spotrac, before hitting free agency in 2025.
The problem is that Douglas usually does not offer multi-year deals to veteran players beyond their second contract. For example, he brought in wide receiver Mike Williams and left tackle Tyron Smith on one-year deals this offseason.
Such a philosophy has to change, though, considering what the Jets have invested in Reddick. Not only did they give up a third-rounder, but they lost edge rusher Bryce Huff in free agency (he signed with the Eagles) and traded John Franklin-Myers to the Denver Broncos. That means Reddick is projected to be an every-down back with Gang Green.
While Reddick forfeits $250,000 for not attending OTAs, he would be subject to more fines if he does not attend mandatory minicamp next week. Saleh, however, expects him to be there.
“Selfishly want everybody here all the time, but it is voluntary and I’m thankful for the guys who are here putting in their work,” Saleh said about his current attendees at OTAs. “Those are the guys who I’m going to focus on.”
