Aaron Rodgers says it’s best for Haason Reddick ‘to be a Jet’ after linebacker’s trade request

NEW YORK — On Monday, edge rusher Haason Reddick made headlines when he requested a trade from the Jets after holding out of training camp due to a contract dispute.

Aaron Rodgers told reporters that he would contact Reddick in hopes of reaching a resolution between the two sides.

“I’ve been around 20 years, and I’ve seen a lot of stuff,” Rodgers said. “I think as players, you first try to side with the player because you know what it is like to be a player.

“I actually played against Haason before. I don’t know him well, I’ve had a couple of messages with him I believe when he got traded. Obviously, we would love for him to be here, but we don’t judge him for trying to do what’s best for him. I think what’s best for him is to be a Jet because this is going to be a fun ride, but he has to make the best decision for he and his family.”

With the Jets putting so much into the 2024 season and with Rodgers returning from a season-ending Achilles tear, he would want an impactful pass rusher like Reddick on the roster.

The Jets reported for training camp on July 23, but Reddick did not. He has missed 22 consecutive days in camp and is being fined $50,000 for each day he misses.

In a statement released on Monday, Jets general manager Joe Douglas said the team informed Reddick that he would not be traded and would continue to be fined according to the collective bargaining agreement if he does not report.

The Jets acquired Reddick in late March via trade with the Eagles in exchange for a conditional 2026 third-round pick that could be a second if he plays at least 67.5% of the upcoming season and has 10 or more sacks. Reddick is in the last year of a three-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Eagles in 2022. He is scheduled to make $14.25 million, but Reddick has no remaining guaranteed money left on his contract.

The Jets attempted to negotiate a new deal with Reddick before he was traded, which would have been a raise from his $14.25 million contract, according to sources. However, he declined their offer, but the Jets decided to still go through with the trade.

Gang Green will only negotiate a new contract with players if they show up to training camp, according to sources.

Since being acquired from the Eagles, Reddick has not been seen around the team facility outside of his introductory press conference. He missed both OTAs and was fined over $50,000 for missing a mandatory minicamp in June and missed out on receiving a $250,000 workout bonus he was scheduled to receive because he was absent for the Jets spring offseason program.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Reddick’s absence is not a distraction.

“It’s a great opportunity for the guys that are here, we love our D-Line, we love our depth, especially at the defensive end position,” Saleh said. “Guys like Will McDonald, even Jermaine Johnson, Takkarist McKinley is getting a lot of run, so is [Eric] Watts and [Braiden] McGregor, and [Micheal] Clemons, and Jalyn [Holmes], so we’ve got a lot of really good depth at the defensive end position and they’re all taking advantage of the extra opportunities that they’re getting because of it.”

The Jets really could use Reddick’s production on the defensive line. During the last four seasons, Reddick finished with 50.5 sacks, the fourth most in the NFL during that span.

During the offseason, the Jets lost 19.5 sacks worth of production after Bryce Huff signed with the Eagles in free agency, Quinton Jefferson inked a one-year deal with the Browns, and John Franklin-Myers was traded to the Broncos.

“I kind of said it when I first got here, our job is to make it very difficult on Joe and his staff to re-sign everybody, and you can’t keep everybody,” Saleh said. “It’s our job to develop the next wave, and to keep things moving.

“I feel like we’ve got a really good defensive line that’s got a lot of depth, and yes, there’s production that needs to be replaced, I’m not worried about where it’s coming from.”