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Disgruntled linebacker Haason Reddick declined a one-year contract offer from the New York Jets earlier this season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Rapoport reported Sunday the Jets were prepared to give Reddick an amended deal that increased his salary and allowed him to recoup his forfeited earnings amid his holdout.
“The parties thought an amicable resolution would happen to allow the pass rusher to play for the Jets, earn his money back and have the opportunity to cash in again this offseason with a big 2024 in a defense coaches believe is perfect for him,” Rapoport reported. “Yet, Reddick declined to sign the deal.”
The NFL insider noted Reddick has until Week 13 to show up and join the Jets, or his contract could toll so that he would remain with New York in 2025 rather than hit free agency. Rapoport went so far as to hypothesize the two-time Pro Bowler could retire outright in the absence of a long-term agreement.
To say Reddick has overplayed his hand would probably be an understatement.
Early on, driving a hard bargain with the Jets made sense in theory. If New York got off an underwhelming start, general manager Joe Douglas might grow desperate enough to either meet the 30-year-old’s asking price or at least get close enough to make the deal attractive.
Well, we’re pretty much there with the Jets sitting at 2-3 and having fired head coach Robert Saleh, yet no accord with Reddick is in sight. Regarding a possible long-term contract, Rapoport wrote that “it appears, at this moment, there is no market for such a deal.”
As a result, the veteran edge-rusher is left losing a $792,000 game check for every week he’s out, which is on top of the millions in fines that accrued in the offseason.
Creative Artists Agency has reportedly dropped Reddick as a client as well, which makes for bad optics and means he’s left without formal representation to continue any negotiations with the Jets.
During his media call after firing Saleh, team owner and chairman Woody Johnson affirmed the door remains open for Reddick.
Based on Rapoport’s newest report, New York nonetheless remains as resolute as Reddick, which is deepening the standoff.
The story also raises doubt on whether the Jets could even flip him in a trade before the Nov. 5 deadline. If he wasn’t willing to sign an improved one-year contract with New York, it’s hard to see why he’d extend that courtesy to another franchise.
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