As of Wednesday morning, there was no indication that the contract standoff between the New York Jets and star pass-rusher Haason Reddick would end before the 1-1 Jets host the 1-1 New England Patriots on Thursday night.
It appears some in the NFL believe this saga could reach a conclusion by the end of September.
“Keep an eye out this weekend and early next week for potential movement on the Haason Reddick front with the Jets,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano said Wednesday. “Reddick still hasn’t reported as he waits for them to extend his contract, and both sides have been firmly dug in – Reddick insisting he won’t show up without a new deal and the Jets insisting they won’t negotiate until he shows up. But the season-ending injury to edge-rusher Jermaine Johnson has left New York even thinner at that key position, and the team knows it.”
Jets/NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY said earlier this week that Johnson going down with a torn Achilles this past Sunday didn’t change the fact that neither the Jets nor Reddick are “willing to blink in their standoff.” Jets general manager Joe Douglas has repeatedly insisted he won’t trade Reddick during the season even though the 29-year-old has been a non-participant in practices and games since New York acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles this past spring.
“[The Jets] know they need to do something about the pass rush, and solving the Reddick dilemma would seem to be the straightest line to a solution,” Graziano added. “If nothing happens on this situation next week, people around the league believe that it’s possible nothing will, and the Jets might end up having to trade Reddick between now and the trade deadline (on Nov. 5).”
As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Jets as 6.5-point favorites for Thursday’s matchup versus the Patriots. It sounds as if Reddick’s camp thinks he could receive the long-term contract extension he wants from the Jets before New York’s Week 4 game against the Denver Broncos (0-2) if Gang Green either suffers an upset loss to New England or features a lackluster pass rush during an unconvincing win over a rebuilding division foe on Thursday night.
