Jets' Haason Reddick trade looks even worse now that it's finalized

Thanks, Joe Douglas.

Charlie Baduini

Former New York Jets defensive end Haason Reddick / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2024 season, the New York Jets were doing their best to go all in. They finally had a healthy Aaron Rodgers, had gotten rid of Zach Wilson, and were ready to push all their chips in for one last shot at a championship run under Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas.

Just one small problem. Their prized pass rush specialist, Bryce Huff, had just left in free agency for the Philadelphia Eagles. He earned himself a three-year, $51 million contract after recording double-digit sacks for the first time in his career.

The Jets needed a replacement, and Douglas turned to his good friend Howie Roseman of the Eagles for a new edge rusher. New York and Philadelphia ended up swinging a deal for Haason Reddick, a two-time Pro Bowler.

Douglas sent the Eagles a conditional 2026 third-round pick that could've turned into a 2026 second-rounder had Reddick played 67.5% of snaps and recorded 10 sacks. As most Jets fans probably know, Reddick didn't meet either of those requirements.

Eagles select X with Jets third-round pick from Haason Reddick trade

Reddick's messy contract situation that started in the summer of 2024 and bled into the regular season didn't necessarily tank the Jets that year, but it certainly didn't help. As if that wasn't bad enough, New York doesn't have a third-round pick this year because of that terrible trade.

Instead, the Eagles selected Miami offensive tackle Markel Bell at the top of the third round with the No. 68 overall pick. A selection that the Jets could've certainly used despite their haul in the first and second rounds.

Not that the Jets needed a tackle. They have two cornerstones in Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou, but that third-round pick could've been useful in the current overhaul of the roster.

Speaking of which, Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon is still on the board as of the publishing of this story, and would've been a fantastic selection for New York.

Regardless, the Jets essentially traded Bell for Reddick, and who knows the kind of pro the Miami standout will end up becoming, but it's safe to say New York lost this trade.

Thanks for nothing, Joe Douglas.

Charlie Baduini

Charlie Baduini covers the New York Jets as a site expert for The Jet Press and FanSided. He is a sports journalist based in Northern New Jersey with a wide variety of sports reporting experience in print and broadcast journalism. Baduini’s byline can also be seen on Heavy and The Sporting News, where he covers several teams across the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured in Heavy, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and Yardbarker. He also serves as a seasonal intern for ESPN, working as a production assistant for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony every year since 2022. Baduini has been a Jets fan for as long as he can remember, with his family's fandom dating back to the 1960s when his grandfather, Louis, became a season ticket holder. His family has since held on to the tickets to this day. He is an avid fan of the New York Knicks and New York Mets.