The Arizona Cardinals opted not to exercise linebacker Haason Reddick’s fifth-year option on his rookie contract earlier this season. It was understandable. He was going to be a rotational outside linebacker and entered the season with 7.5 career sacks.
The fifth-year option would have cost almost $10.1 million, which is not what a team would pay a backup situational pass rusher.
Reddick wasn’t upset with the team. He understood why.
“One thing that I have learned is that is a business more than anything,” he told reporters on Friday. “At the end of the day, and based off of previous years, no matter what the situation was, no matter what I could or could not control, it was still the business side of things, and based off of what I had done in previous years, it caused for them to make a smart business move, which was to not pick up my fifth-year option.”
There was no way of knowing it, but that ended up potentially being a very bad business move.
Chandler Jones got hurt, which moved Reddick into the starting lineup. 15 games into the season and he has 12.5 sacks and six forced fumbles, including 7.5 and all six of his forced fumbles in the last three games. He also has 16 quarterback hits and 14 tackles for loss.
He will now be a free agent after the season and is tied for third in the league in sacks.
Pass rushers get paid big money, especially when they have production, athleticism and are entering the prime of their career. Reddick is 26 years old.
Although he is undersized as an edge rusher, he would fit nicely in any 3-4 scheme.
Based on previous years, he will command more than $10 million per year. The Cardinals could have kept him for another year.
They still could by using the franchise tag, but that would cost them about $15 million next year.
He will be tough to keep.
Not exercising the option means they will either pay him much more next year or they will lose him.
What seemed like a smart business move has proven to be a bad move.
And that is good for Reddick. He proved himself to be an every-down player. He will certainly be rewarded for it.
He would like to stay with the Cardinals.
“I don’t really know the ins and out about what’s to happen with negotiations and what I’m able to do, but hopefully I get to stay here,” he said. “I would like to stay here. We’ll see what happens when the time comes.”
To be fair, at the time, it was certainly the right move for Arizona and, were it not for Chandler Jones’ injury, he probably doesn’t have the season he has had. But in hindsight, it sure would have been nice to have had him under contract for one more season.
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