OTAs during the spring are always voluntary. Players do not have to attend. However, it’s still interesting to note that one of the Jets’ key offseason acquisitions has not yet attended early workouts with his new team. That player is edge-defender Haason Reddick.
Head coach Robert Saleh spoke to the media Tuesday and confirmed Reddick has not yet been at OTAs but did say he does expect Reddick to attend next week’s mandatory minicamp.
“For me, I’m focused on the guys who are here,” Saleh said, via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “Haason’s a pro. He’s been in this league a while. He’s produced at a very high level for a long time. He’s got his routine. If it makes people feel better, we know where he’s at, we know what he’s doing. We know he’s working his tail off to get where he needs to get to to have a productive ’24 season.”
Reddick is entering the final year of his three-year contract that he originally signed with the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2022. He is slated to make $14.5 million this season but is looking for a new deal. Contract issues helped push the Eagles to trade Reddick to the Jets for a Day 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after the team signed former Jets defensive end Bryce Huff.
Reddick is also missing out on a $250,000 offseason workout bonus by not attending OTAs.
The thought was the two sides would work out a deal shortly after the trade was made. That was back on March 29.
There’s still time for a new deal to be worked out but it’s not the greatest of signs that the Jets traded for a player and are now in the middle of a contract issue with that player.
Reddick and Jermaine Johnson will lead a slightly new-look defensive end group that, in addition to Huff, also is now without John Franklin-Myers, who the team traded to the Denver Broncos during the draft.