Haason Reddick ends contract denial after trade rumors, Jets waive over $12M in penalties | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

The long-standing standoff between the New York Jets and edge rusher Haason Reddick has finally come to an end.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Reddick and the Jets agreed to a restructured contract through the 2024 season. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Schefter, “We will continue to work toward a long-term contract extension with the Jets.”

Schefter also reported that the Jets are waiving the more than $12 million in fines that Reddick accumulated during his restraint.

“Jets owner Woody Johnson is said to have been ‘very involved in resolving this issue’ with Rosenhaus,” Schefter said. “Johnson never had any intention of trading Reddick, despite requests from other teams.”

Reddick was originally scheduled to receive a base salary of $14.25 million this year in the final season of the three-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022.

The Jets traded a conditional third-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Reddick, which is expected to strengthen their defense. However, he skipped the team’s entire offseason program, mandatory minicamp and all of training camp while waiting for a new contract.

Reddick then missed New York’s first six games of the season against the San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills.

Schefter reported before the Titans game that the two teams “were unable to reconcile their differences and that an agreement is not currently in sight.” Jets defensive end Jermaine Johnson suffered a torn Achilles tendon in that game, complicating Reddick’s absence makes even more worrying.

SNY’s Connor Hughes reported in July that the Jets offered Reddick a contract extension, but he declined before the trade. He reportedly agreed to participate in the team’s offseason program as the Jets were willing to negotiate a new contract for him that was contingent on his performance early in the season. Instead, he “maintained minimal contact with the organization” and opted not to show up at all, and the Jets refused to negotiate until he reported to training camp.

The contentious situation came to a head when Reddick requested a trade from New York on August 12th. Jets general manager Joe Douglas released a statement saying the team had informed Reddick that he would not be traded.

Reddick was fired by his agents at CAA and hired Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha as his new representatives. Rosenhaus said he would attend New York’s Week 6 game against Buffalo and expressed optimism that the situation would resolve. He told Schefter: “Haason wants to remain a New York Jet for years to come, and our goal is to make that happen.”

However, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported the very next day that the Jets had given Reddick and Rosenhaus permission to explore a trade. New York was eventually able to reach an agreement with Reddick’s camp.

Now that the two sides have reached an agreement, Reddick can make an important contribution to helping the Jets fight for a playoff spot this year. The 30-year-old is one of the best pass rushers in the league with a total of 50.5 sacks over the last four years.

Reddick joins a talented New York defense that includes defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and star cornerback Sauce Gardner, as well as a number of other highly touted players. If he continues to play like he has in recent years, the Jets’ defense will wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks as the team looks to end its 13-year playoff drought.