The New York Jets have made their stance very clear in the saga with edge rusher Haason Reddick.
Until he shows up, there will be no changes made to his contract.
This standoff has been going on for months after the Jets acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles back on March 29. Despite being under the impression he would report, Reddick has taken part in zero activities with his new team.
He skipped the entire offseason program, was not present at training camp, and wasn't active for the first game of the year.
Millions of dollars in fines have been racked up, but no end seems to be in sight.
New York has made it clear they don’t intend to trade Reddick, who requested a trade on Aug. 12 before it was denied. Alas, their stance could change depending on how things unfold during the regular season.
They could have certainly used him against the San Francisco 49ers in their opener.
Their pass rush was nonexistent, as Brock Purdy had all day to throw the ball from the pocket. The Jets did have two sacks in the game, but for only a loss of six yards. Both were recorded by players in the secondary; safety Tony Adams and cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Having him in the lineup is ultimately what the team wants, but if he refuses to show up, it would be in the team's best interest to move on and get what they can for him.
What kind of trade packages could they receive?
Over at ESPN, insider Jeremy Fowler has suggested making a deal with the Chicago Bears.
In the proposal, New York would receive a 2025 third-round pick and a 2025 sixth-round pick in exchange for the disgruntled edge rusher. The Bears would get Reddick and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
“Teams won't be eager to give the Jets the same trade value New York gave Philadelphia in the April deal (conditional third-round pick that can turn into a second-rounder). This proposal is more than generous, considering Reddick has depressed his own value. The Bears don't have a fourth-round pick in 2025, so a package of third- and sixth-round picks would suffice. The Jets could also ask for a playmaker such as receiver Velus Jones Jr. as a sweetener,” Fowler wrote.
They may not want to do it, but getting back the pick that was sent to the Eagles would be ideal for the Jets.
Unfortunately, they would have a huge void on their depth chart after making moves this offseason to clear room for Reddick.
Making this trade and then dipping into free agency for a veteran replacement would make a lot of sense.
Short of the star edge rusher showing up, that is the best outcome New York could hope for.
