Joe Douglas must stand firm and call Haason Reddick’s Jets bluff

In the latest episode of Only The Jets, emerging pass rusher Bryce Huff bolts to the Eagles for his new $17 million annual free agent salary and Jets general manager Joe Douglas trades for the established Eagles pass rusher who never shows up for training camp and now goes public with a trade request. 

Haason Reddick is trying to pull a fast one here on the Jets. 

Reddick is trying to squeeze a GM who at the very least will need to end the franchise’s 13-year playoff drought alongside Robert Saleh to keep his job. 

Except Douglas was in no rush to sign Reddick to a long-term deal when he surrendered a 2026 conditional third-round draft pick for him, and he should be in no rush to knuckle under to Reddick now. 

Even if, when he looks in the mirror, he sees scrambled egg on his face. Douglas is not blameless here … a good faith verbal agreement can come back and bite you in the butt in any business without a name on the dotted line. 

But now? With Opening Day in San Francisco less than a month away? 

Don’t blink. 

Call his bluff. 

And the GM immediately decided to do just that: 

“We have informed Haason that we will not trade him, that he is expected to be here with his teammates, and that he will continue to be fined per the CBA if he does not report,” Joe Douglas said in a statement. “Since the trade discussions back in March we have been clear, direct, and consistent with our position. Our focus will remain on the guys we have here as we prepare for the regular season.” 

Boom! 

Reddick seems to believe that he has all the leverage facing off with an owner and a GM desperate enough to move heaven and earth for Aaron Rodgers 17 long months ago. 

He is wrong. 

He will be turning 30 next month. What could his strategy be? Sitting out the season and panhandling for a monster deal at age 31 when the 2025 season arrives? And his rights still belong to the Jets? Talk about financial suicide. And talk about career suicide. 

“All options are open right now. Contractual stuff, I’m leaving that up to my agent and Joe to figure out. Whatever happens, I’m going to be happy for,” Reddick said at his introductory news conference. “I’m going to give my all, no matter what. That’s just who I am as a person. So no matter how it goes, how many years, I’m gonna be here for however long I’m here for, and I’m gonna give the team, the fans, everything that I have.”

That person has been fined $50,000 a day for the last 21 days. 

That person went back on his word. 

No question Reddick is an elite pass rusher (50.5 sacks the past four seasons). He is due to make a non-guaranteed $14.25 million in base pay in the final year of his contract. He is eyeing this neighborhood behind Nick Bosa ($34 million): 

Josh Hines-Allen: $28.25M. 

Brian Burns: $28.2M. 

T.J. Watt: $28M. 

Myles Garrett: $25M. 

The fly in the ointment for Douglas is filling up wheelbarrows with Woody Johnson’s money for a player who has not so much as practiced with his new teammates and turned into Howard Hughes at a time when loyal Jets such as D.J. Reed and Michael Carter II enter the last year of their contracts. 

Douglas would be amenable to sweetening the pot, converting non-guaranteed money to guarantees, if and when Reddick decides to show up, and talking long-term turkey after the season, or even possibly later in the season. 

For his sake, for his future, Reddick better cave. 

Disgruntled and underpaid 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk recently rejected a trade to the Patriots and one to the Browns for Amari Cooper. 

Reddick? He was all-in on helping Rodgers chase that elusive Super Bowl … until he wasn’t. Until he had a change of heart. It was mutually understood that he would report under the terms of his current contract. Referring to the 2022 Eagles Super Bowl run, Reddick raved about the Jets roster back in March and said: “And what we have here is opportunity to do if we can all come in, build that chemistry, get on the same page and just become a completely-bonded team by the time the season starts. I think we can go really really far.” 

It’s yet another bad optic for the Jets, of course. More fodder for the Same Old Jets crowd. Huff leaves. Reddick can’t wait to be a Jet. Changes his tune to play hardball. 

And now here we are. 

Maybe Will McDonald takes that second-year leap that Jermaine Johnson took a year ago, and keeps the Jets defense elite. Maybe C.J. Mosley can call Reddick to tell him what he would be missing. Maybe Rodgers, who selflessly surrendered $35M of his guaranteed money, can pitch in now for Reddick. 

“I don’t think anybody’s ready for what’s about to happen,” Reddick said in March, “but it’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be fun to watch as well.” 

The Jets want Haason Reddick. Need Haason Reddick. As much as they want him and need him, he should wake up and realize that he needs the Jets more than they need him.