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It sounds like the New York Jets aren’t going to have the services of veteran pass rusher Haason Reddick in the season opener.
Adam Schefter of ESPN told Pat McAfee on Tuesday, September 3 that, “right now it would be a surprise if this deal gets done in time for him to play on Monday night. Obviously it doesn’t sound like he is going to be out there against the [San Francisco] 49ers.”
“I haven’t gotten any sense that they have made much progress. I haven’t gotten any sense that this is getting done any time soon. The sense I’ve gotten is that this looks like it’s going to drag on and we’ll see if both sides can figure out a way to avert that but right now it doesn’t sound that way,” Schefter explained on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Schefter did note several times during his chat with McAfee that all of this can change with a simple phone call. However, both sides are involved in a game of chicken. The Jets refuse to negotiate with someone who isn’t present at the team facilities and Reddick refuses to show up until he has a new deal in hand.
A Very Ominous Warning Sign to the Jets
Heavy on Jets
Schefter said that the situation between Reddick and the Jets “feels like it has the makings of” what happened between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Le’Veon Bell.
In 2018 the Steelers placed the franchise tag for the second straight offseason on Bell. The former Michigan State product refused to sign the tender and skipped the entire offseason of football activities. That holdout extended into the season and he ended up skipping the entire campaign for Pittsburgh.
The following offseason the Steelers didn’t place the tag on him again which made him an unrestricted free agent.
Bell signed with the Jets on a four-year deal for $52.5 million, but he was never the same player.
The difference in those situations is the contract. Technically Bell wasn’t under contract so the team couldn’t fine him for skipping the season, but the team held control of his rights because of the franchise tag.
In this Reddick situation, he is under contract and the Jets can and have fined him throughout this process for missing time.
General manager Joe Douglas told the media last week that they have been “clear and direct” from the get-go on this situation and confirmed that the ball is in Reddick’s court.
Jets Are Prepared for Life Without Reddick
If Reddick is on the team or off the team, the NFL world keeps spinning.
Head coach Robert Saleh confirmed that reality when asked about his confidence level in the other guys in the Jets’ defensive line room.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in all of them. Micheal [Clemons] looks a lot different than he did a year ago. From our standpoint, we recommended that he gain 30 pounds which in hindsight was not a good idea. Everything is in a really good place for him. He is lighter, he’s faster, he’s leaner, [and] he still has all of his power,” Saleh said on Tuesday, September 3. “Will McDonald looks awesome. His speed and counter off his speed is pretty damn lethal. He is doing well enough in the run game. Don’t sleep on Takk [McKinley]. I thought Takk had a really good training camp also. So we’ve got plenty to go rush the passer. Our interior guys, Quinnen [Williams], [Javon] Kinlaw, and Solly [Solomon Thomas] still can produce a whole lot for us. So I’m not overly concerned at all.”
Saleh better hope he’s right about having plenty of guys to rush the passer. The 49ers represented the NFC Conference in the Super Bowl. They have one of the best rosters in football. New York is going to have to dig into their bag of tricks without Reddick on the roster wreaking havoc.
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