Haason Reddick trade 'looking more likely' as NY Jets holdout continues

As the NY Jets approach their Week 2 game against the Tennessee Titans, they seem likely to be without Haason Reddick once again. The star pass rusher remains away from the team as he seeks a new contract, and this isn't a situation that appears likely to end anytime soon.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh rejected the notion that the Jets have any urgency to resolve the Reddick saga when speaking to reporters on Wednesday. And from Reddick's perspective, he doesn't seem likely to cave either.

Both sides are dug in and appear to be holding firm. That's why some high-ranking officials around the league believe this will ultimately end in the Jets trading Reddick before he ever plays a snap for the team.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday that multiple NFL executives believe a trade is "looking more likely" as the Jets draw closer to the trade deadline in Week 9. One NFC executive remarked that the Jets might not "have a choice."

How likely is a Haason Reddick trade for the NY Jets?

The notion that the Jets would consider trading Reddick isn't a new one, but it has been rebuffed by general manager Joe Douglas. The Jets have publicly stated that they will not trade Reddick. They would be going back on their own public statement if they did.

It's hard to see why the Jets would entertain a Reddick trade at this stage, given that they hold all the leverage and the market likely isn't even there.

Reddick can't hold out for the entire season. He has to report by the Tuesday following Week 10 or else his contract tolls to 2025 and the Jets retain his rights. That's not going to happen, so he eventually has to show up.

Of course, that doesn't mean he's going to play or even be effective if he does play. The Jets know this, but they're also not going to send him packing for lower than his perceived value.

The Jets traded a conditional 2026 third-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Reddick this past April. His market, especially given his contract demands, is well below that now. The Jets would not get equal value back.

On top of that, if Reddick walks in the offseason, the Jets will very likely receive a 2026 compensatory draft pick if the other free-agent moves they make don't cancel it out. That doesn't happen if they trade him and Douglas knows that.

It's also worth wondering what Reddick's market even looks like. All reports have suggested that no team is willing to trade for Reddick and give him the contract he's demanding, roughly $25-28 million per year.

So if Reddick were to be traded, he wouldn't receive the contract he's looking for. He'd concede on his demands, which at that point, why not just show up and play for the Jets?

Unless this is a matter of principle for Reddick, demanding a trade to a team that isn't going to give him the extension he wants lacks any logical basis. But then again, very little about the current situation is based in logic. None of it makes sense.

For now, Reddick seems content waiting it out and hoping the Jets blink. The Jets are content waiting for Reddick to eventually show up with the hope that he eventually buys in and takes the field.

As far as a future trade is concerned, it obviously can't be ruled out (nothing can in this situation), but it still feels like an unlikely outcome.

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