NY Jets win another PR battle as Haason Reddick continues to look awful

The NY Jets are winning the PR battle with Haason Reddick if that counts for anything, and they have Matthew Judon and the Atlanta Falcons to thank for it.

The Falcons traded a third-round pick to the New England Patriots for Judon last week, and much like the Jets with Reddick, the two sides did not reach a deal on an extension prior to the trade being completed.

It's possible that Judon is still extended before the start of the regular season, but he's already handling his situation vastly different than how Reddick has handled his. In fact, his comments on Monday can almost be read as a direct shot at the Jets' edge rusher.

Judon told reporters that he doesn't feel comfortable demanding a new contract before the Falcons get to know him as a person and as a football player first. In essence, he feels like he has to earn it.

"The Atlanta Falcons don’t know me as a football player. They know my history. So I can’t demand something I haven’t worked for."
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- Matthew Judon

Matthew Judon continues to help the NY Jets in the Haason Reddick situation

While Judon's comments can be seen as the exception and not the rule in situations like this, they certainly don't help to give Reddick any extra leverage in his holdout.

The former All-Pro edge rusher is going on a full month of his holdout from Jets training camp with reports suggesting he could continue to hold out into the regular season.

The Jets insist that they don't want to engage in contract negotiations with Reddick until he steps foot in the team's facility again. Reddick maintains that he won't show up without a new contract.

Judon is taking a different approach. While extension talks are likely still ongoing, he's practicing fully and looking to establish himself as a new member of his team. He claims he wants to "work for" his new contract before he receives it.

It might be unfair to expect every player to act like Judon has in this situation, but this is an easy and obvious PR win for the Jets. General manager Joe Douglas can simply point to Judon's comments if Reddick and his camp continue to demand an extension before he ends his holdout.

The original Judon trade already made the Jets look good for a number of reasons. Not only did Judon agree to show up and practice without a new contract, but the Falcons gave up more for a lesser play.

Reddick is two years younger than Judon and has 12.5 more sacks over the last four years. Judon is coming off a season in which he played just four games. The Jets were the real winners of that trade, and that continues to prove true with every word Judon says.

The Jets can thank Judon and the Falcons for continuing to increase their leverage in the Haason Reddick situation. This has been a PR nightmare for Reddick's camp.

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