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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
New York Jets edge rusher Haason Reddick is the NFL’s last remaining holdout — and his head coach is trying not to sweat his absence.
“I mean, it’s like finding change in the couch, I guess, right?” Robert Saleh said Tuesday with a laugh, agreeing with the premise that having Reddick report at this point would be like a bonus.
Continuing, Saleh said, “But, no, he’s a special football player. And when he gets here, when he eventually gets here, he’s only going to help us.”
It’s an unusual holdout because Reddick, acquired in a March 29 trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, hasn’t set foot in the Jets’ facility since April 1 — the day of his news conference and physical. He skipped all offseason activities and all training camp practices, accumulating $2.05 million in mandatory fines for missing training camp. He also forfeited a $250,000 offseason workout bonus and incurred other discretionary fines.
Since the Jets have yet to see Reddick in a football setting, they can try to promote the idea that he’s a luxury. But they did give up a 2026 conditional third-round pick to acquire his contract, which is due to pay him a nonguaranteed $14.25 million in 2024 — so they obviously have big plans for him.
On Aug. 12, Reddick, who wants a contract extension that would make him one of the highest-paid edge players, requested a trade. The Jets have said they have no plans to trade him. General manager Joe Douglas said last week that he won’t negotiate with Reddick’s agent until Reddick reports to the team.
The Jets open the season at the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football.” They still have three full practices before the game. Saleh wouldn’t rule out Reddick for the game.
“Really it’s going to be all dependent on how he looks, if and when he shows up,” Saleh said. “We’ll put him through some work with the training staff, see where he’s at, and then communicate with him and on what we can figure out.”
Saleh insisted he’s not disappointed by the holdout, which has stretched 43 days, expressing confidence in their other defensive linemen.
The plan was to have Reddick join Quinnen Williams, Javon Kinlaw and Jermaine Johnson on their starting front four. Third-year backup Micheal Clemons could replace Reddick in the base, with 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald IV playing in pass rushing situations.
The Jets lost their 2023 sack leader, Bryce Huff, in free agency to the Eagles and traded 2023 starter John Franklin-Myers to the Denver Broncos after acquiring Reddick.