Jets Urged to Sign Pro Bowler as Haason Reddick Insurance

Getty The Jets could sign Yannick Ngakoue as a backup plan for Haason Reddick.

The New York Jets are in the thick of training camp, but as their preseason opener looms closer, Joe Douglas should consider adding some Haason Reddick insurance.

Reddick continues to hold out of Jets training camp. That leaves a huge hole in the defense, despite the team’s young pass rushers. Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey believes that veteran Yannick Ngakoue could be a bargain-bin free agent as Reddick insurance.

“New York could add some pass-rushing insurance in the form of Yannick Ngakoue,” Tansey wrote. “Even with Reddick on the field, Ngakoue can provide some extra depth on the edge for a team that has to deal with some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL during its AFC schedule.”

There’s still time for the Jets to add a veteran free agent on a cheap, short-team deal. A player like Ngakoue could make a lot of sense.

Latest on Haason Reddick

It’s been one of the strangest trade situations in years regarding the Jets and Reddick. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like a resolution is coming any time soon.

The Jets traded a 2026 conditional third-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Reddick back in March. Despite the move, the Jets did not give Reddick a contract extension immediately following the trade. His comments following the trade in retrospect are interesting.

“All options are open,” Reddick told reporters at the time. “Right now I’m just worried about being here, meeting everybody. … But whatever happens, I’m going to be happy, I’m going to give my all no matter what because that’s just who I am as a person.”

Since then, Reddick has been absent from all offseason activities for the Jets. Because of his absence from training camp and other workouts, he’s now facing more than $1 million in fines.

The Jets don’t seem interested in budging on long-term money for Reddick, despite giving up draft capital to acquire him. Reddick is in the prime of his career with back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances, so it’s likely that he wants top-of-market money for pass rushers.

As of right now, it doesn’t seem like a deal is getting done any time soon.

Can Yannick Ngakoue Play at a High Level?

Ngakoue may not be the pass-rush specialist that Reddick is. However, he could still be a valuable asset to New York’s defense.

At 29 years old, Ngakoue is entering his ninth NFL season, but has yet to find his next team. His most recent team was the Chicago Bears, where he saw a sharp drop-off in pass-rush production. He had just four sacks this past season after 19.5 sacks over the previous two years.

However, Pro Football Focus has not been bullish on Ngakoue over the last few seasons. They haven’t given him a grade of higher than 51.4 in any of the last three seasons, despite generating at least 34 pressures every year.

Still, for a team that needs a veteran that could eventually be just a backup depth piece, there are worse options out there than an established player like Ngakoue for the 2024 season.