The New York Jets’ ongoing contract dispute with Haason Reddick took a dramatic turn on Monday as the Pro Bowl edge rusher formally requested a trade. The Jets responded swiftly, issuing a statement that made it clear they have no plans to accommodate his request.
General Manager Joe Douglas emphasized, “We have informed Haason that we will not trade him, that he is expected to be here with his teammates, and that he will continue to be fined per the CBA if he does not report. Since the trade discussions back in March, we have been clear, direct, and consistent with our position. Our focus will remain on the guys we have here as we prepare for the regular season.”
Reddick, dissatisfied with his contract, has missed 21 days of training camp, which has resulted in mandatory fines of $50,000 each day, totaling $1.7 million when including additional fines and lost bonuses from an offseason incentive.
This situation is particularly unusual as Reddick was only acquired in a trade four months ago, and he has not participated in any practices with the Jets, having only visited their facility once for his physical and introductory press conference on April 1st.
In March, the Jets traded a conditional third-round draft pick in 2026 to the Philadelphia Eagles for Reddick, believing he would honor his existing contract. However, Reddick’s absence from all offseason activities, including mandatory minicamps, became a point of contention.
The Jets have a policy of refraining from negotiations with players who are not present at camp, while Reddick refuses to return unless his contract is renegotiated. This marks his second request for a trade in six months.
Reddick, 29, is in the final year of a non-guaranteed $14.25 million base salary from a three-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Eagles as a free agent in 2022. He feels his on-field performance warrants a higher salary that aligns with elite edge rushers, which has been a factor in the Eagles opting to trade him.
Danielle Hunter of the Houston Texans, also 29, has similar sack production as Reddick in the past two seasons (27 sacks each) and secured a two-year, $49 million contract during free agency, a benchmark Reddick is likely considering.
Over the last four seasons, Reddick has recorded 50.5 sacks, ranking fourth in the NFL during that period. After losing their leading sack artist, Bryce Huff, to the Eagles, the Jets moved to acquire Reddick as part of their significant offseason upgrades. Interestingly, the Jets did not finalize Reddick’s contract situation during the trade process, despite reports that they had proposed an extension which likely did not meet his expectations.
Sources indicate that the Jets planned to revisit Reddick’s contract either later in the season or after the regular season, expressing surprise at his absence from all voluntary workouts.
Reddick is the fourth player known to have requested a trade from the Jets under Douglas’s management, following safety Jamal Adams, wide receiver Denzel Mims, and wide receiver Elijah Moore, all of whom were eventually traded.
For missing 21 training camp days, Reddick has accrued $1.05 million in mandatory fines as dictated by the collective bargaining agreement, which cannot be reversed. He also faces roughly $300,000 in discretionary fines due to violations of the CBA. His absence from minicamp earlier in the spring resulted in a mandatory $100,000 fine, and he forfeited a $250,000 workout bonus by skipping offseason activities.
The Jets have high expectations for Reddick, who turns 30 on September 20, as he is set to start at defensive end, taking over from John Franklin-Myers, who was traded to the Denver Broncos. Micheal Clemons and Will McDonald have been sharing snaps in training camp as the Jets prepare for the regular season.