Oh man, the New York Jets lost defensive lineman Braiden McGregor for the season? That stinks.
Well, let’s Google the top available free agent pass rushers. Oh wow, look, Haason Reddick is still out there: should we consider a reunion?
In the wise words of Michael Scott from ‘The Office’: “NOOO!!! GOD!! No, God, please, no! No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
The first Jets Reddick experience was an epic disaster that created terrible headlines. Some of the main characters are different with a regime change on 1 Jets Drive, but Reddick is still the same.
The Juice Isn’t Worth the Squeeze
The Jets are desperate for pass rush help, but they aren’t that desperate.
Reddick, 32, entered the league as the No. 13 overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. He struggled through his first four years with the Arizona Cardinals with what they were asking him to do.
Across his first three seasons in Arizona, Reddick totaled 7.5 sacks, but in his final season with the Cardinals, something clicked as he finished with 12.5 sacks.
Since 2021, he has been bouncing between teams. Over the last five years, Reddick has played for four different NFL teams. During his two years with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reddick’s game reached a new level. He was named a Pro Bowler twice, an All-Pro once, and led the league in forced fumbles.
Reddick wanted a new deal to pay him for his recent production in 2024. The Eagles were unwilling to do it so they traded him to the Jets. That’s where all the problems started.
Reddick ended up having an ugly holdout that lasted all of training camp and bled into the regular season. Reddick ended up appearing in 10 games, and he made two starts. With those opportunities, Reddick finished with a single sack and three quarterback hits.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini said the Reddick acquistion was one of the “worst trades in team history.” The Jets ended up paying him $9.5 million for that poor excuse of a season.
What Has He Done Since?
After leaving the Jets, he signed a one-year $14 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the opening moments of free agency in 2025.
He appeared in 13 games and made 12 starts last season. With those opportunities, he collected 2.5 sacks, six quarterback hits, a pass deflection, a forced fumble, and six tackles for loss.
Bluntly, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. What I’m about to say goes for all walks of life. The more talented you’re at your job, the more you can get away with.
If you’re the 53rd player on a roster and you make a massive mistake, you can lose your job. If you’re a talented player who suits up at a premium position in the NFL, you have more leeway.
Here is a perfect example.
On the ‘NFL 100 All-Time Team Show’, Bill Belichick told a story from when he was with the New York Giants in the 1980s. He started a defensive meeting, and a few minutes into it, Lawrence Taylor showed up late. Belichick finished the meeting, and he went over to Bill Parcells and told him that Taylor ended up being late.
Parcells responded, “Why’d you start the meeting before he got there?”
When you’re a former NFL MVP, two-time Super Bowl champion, 3-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a 10-time All-Pro, you get a little more wiggle room than everybody else.
Safe to say Reddick isn’t in that same category. Thanks, but no thanks. The Jets should explore literally every other option on planet Earth before they even consider a potential reunion with Reddick.
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