The Haason Reddick trade drama has been one of the wildest stories of the offseason and has carried into the regular season. Originally with the Philadelphia Eagles, the two-time Pro Bowler demanded either a contract extension or a trade. Philadelphia eventually traded him to the New York Jets, who believed he’d be willing to play on his current deal. That didn’t happen, as Reddick cut off contact with the team, skipped offseason work, and is reportedly willing to “die on the sword” and could miss the season.
SNY’s Connor Hughes recently reported that Reddick’s agent is in discussions with General Manager Joe Douglas, but that doesn’t mean a long-term deal will materialize. New York doesn’t want to reward a player going back on their word (at least from their perspective), and they won’t want to deal him while the team is still in contention. However, if quarterback Aaron Rodgers can’t recapture his old form, the Jets could trade Haason Reddick to a contender like the Kansas City Chiefs or Baltimore Ravens at the trade deadline.
Chiefs, Ravens Could Trade For Haason Reddick
The Kansas City Chiefs are the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl after hoisting the Lombardi the past two seasons. However, there’s no such thing as a can’t-lose team, so the Chiefs should do everything in their power to ensure they make history as the first team to win three Lombardi trophies. Chris Jones is one of the best defensive tackles in football and George Karlaftis knows how to get after the quarterback, but this team could use a third option. Assuming they’re willing to extend him, a Haason Reddick trade would make perfect sense for Kansas City.
2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah had a rookie season to forget, recording just half a sack, 14 tackles, and seven quarterback hits in 17 games. While it’s too early to give up on his career, the fact he has yet to earn a starting job is worrisome. Seeing as the Jets probably won’t trade Haason Reddick until Week 9, the Kansas State product has half a season to prove himself. However, if he’s not up for the task, then Kansas City could look for outside help.
Replacing A Pass Rush
The Baltimore Ravens had the most talented roster in football last year but lost several key players in free agency. While they remain one of the NFL’s elite organizations, they could use a pass rusher to replace the departed Jadeveon Clowney. With the former first-overall pick now on the Carolina Panthers, the Ravens are going with a quantity-over-quality approach to the pass rush. Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, and Kyle Van Noy are all fine situational players, but the Ravens should trade for Haason Reddick if they want to get the most out of their defense.
Nnamdi Madubuike can collapse the pocket on any given play, but Baltimore could use a player capable of consistently getting past opposing pass rushers. Haason Reddick might need some time to knock off the rust from his offseason holdout, but a trade could make a major difference in the playoffs. Baltimore knows better than anyone that one or two plays can be the difference between winning and losing in the postseason, and Reddick could sway the outcome against the elite AFC teams.
Main Photo: Eric Hartline – USA Today Sports
