NY Jets can't overreact to Haason Reddick situation after Week 1 letdown

The NY Jets struggled to the tune of a 32-19 beatdown at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in a Week 1 Monday Night Football game that wasn't as close as the final score would indicate.

The Jets were soundly defeated in essentially every aspect of the game, but perhaps the most pressing concern coming out of Monday night is the lackluster performance of the team's defensive line. One individual who's probably not too upset about that is Haason Reddick.

The former Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher remains away from the team as he continues to hold out in search of a new contract. Reddick forfeited nearly $800,000 by missing Monday night's game, but he's hoping that his absence could be a worthy investment.

The underwhelming showing from the Jets' defensive line might appear to give Reddick increased leverage in contract talks on paper, but general manager Joe Douglas would be wise to avoid any harsh overreactions following Week 1.

No, the NY Jets still shouldn't extend Haason Reddick

Reddick is entering the final year of his contract and is seeking a long-term deal from either the Jets or another team. The issue for Reddick is that no team is reportedly willing to give him the contract he's looking for, reportedly as much as $25-28 million per season.

There's a very good reason for that. Reddick will turn 30 years old in a couple of weeks, and the track record for paying speed rushers in their 30s isn't particularly encouraging. From the Jets' perspective, they have plenty of other players to worry about paying first.

The team's entire 2022 NFL Draft class becomes eligible for an extension this upcoming offseason. Those players all take priority over an aging (but still very talented!) pass rusher who hasn't even shown up yet.

The Jets' defensive line was a problem in Week 1, but even more so than the pass rush, the run defense was a serious issue. Robert Saleh's defense was gashed for over 180 yards on the ground in a rushing attack led by former undrafted free agent Jordan Mason.

Reddick may be one of the better pass rushers in the NFL, but he's never been a particularly effective run defender. Reddick doesn't fix the Jets' run defense — he doesn't fix the most pertinent issue with the defense right now.

It would go against everything Douglas has done as Jets general manager if he were to emotionally react to one regular-season game and pay an aging speed rusher top dollar on a long-term extension.

The Jets are right not to cave to Reddick's phony trade request and excessive contract demands. One unfortunate loss to the 49ers in Week 1 shouldn't alter their stance.

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