Haason Reddick signs NY Jets helmets as his team creates cap space for his arrival

The Haason Reddick watch continues as the NY Jets sit under a week away from their Week 1 opener against the San Francisco 49ers. Reddick was not in attendance at Jets practice on Tuesday, but rumors are swirling that the two sides could be nearing a deal.

Is there any validity to those rumors? You be the judge for yourself.

Reddick made a rare public appearance on Tuesday, signing autographs for fans at a local charity event in Jersey City. The All-Pro pass rusher was spotted donning green and white and even signed Jets helmets for fans in attendance.

That was already enough for Jets fans to start jumping to conclusions, but the team added further fuel to the fire when it was reported that they restructured the contracts of linebacker Quincy Williams and tight end Tyler Conklin, thus creating $8 million in cap space.

The Jets create cap space while Reddick is seen signing Jets merchandise all within a few hours? That's certainly quite the coincidence.

Are the NY Jets about to resolve the Haason Reddick situation?

The Jets also extended standout slot cornerback Michael Carter II on Tuesday, giving the former fifth-round pick a three-year, $30.75 million contract. But contrary to what many might believe, that extension has nothing to do with the Williams and Conklin restructures.

Carter's extension doesn't kick in until the 2025 season, meaning that it doesn't eat into the Jets' current cap space. If anything, it might actually increase the team's cap space depending on the structure of the deal.

The Jets now have roughly $19 million in cap space entering the season, which would be more than enough to cover Reddick and any LTBE (likely to be earned) incentives. Reddick's cap hit was set to be around $15 million going into 2024, but that number will likely be altered.

NFL teams typically go into the season with some wiggle room in cap space to make mid-season roster changes, but it's rare to see a team with nearly $20 million in cap space. It's very obvious that space is being kept for Reddick's eventual return.

Now, just because the Jets created that cap space doesn't mean a Reddick deal is imminent, even if the timing of it is curious. It's also worth noting that the Jets are still highly unlikely to offer Reddick a long-term extension.

They're simply making room for his reworked contract (assuming that happens) to be added to the team's salary cap table. When that happens remains to be seen, but the Jets are being proactive.

Are the Jets about to finally resolve their Haason Reddick problem? That we don't know. But the rumor mill is churning and the signs are there. We might just be nearing a resolution after all.

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