Jets GM says 'ball' is in holdout Reddick's 'court'

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — With only 11 days until the season opener, New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas sent a clear message Thursday to holdout Haason Reddick: Show up and we’ll talk.

“The ball is in their court,” Douglas told reporters, commenting for the first time on the 38-day holdout.

Douglas said he has had no recent conversations with Reddick’s agent, Tory Dandy, and he hasn’t spoken to Reddick since April 1, the day the Pro Bowl edge rusher visited the Jets’ facility, took a physical and conducted his introductory news conference after being acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The GM reiterated that he won’t grant Reddick’s request for a trade, adding that he won’t discuss a revised contract until Reddick reports.

“I think we’ve been clear from the outset: Let’s get here and then let’s talk,” Douglas said, claiming he’s not frustrated by the prolonged stalemate.

Neither Reddick nor his agent have commented.

This is a highly unusual holdout because the Jets, seeking an edge rusher to replace Bryce Huff (who signed with the Eagles), made a trade for Reddick, who appeared upbeat at his news conference. Reddick’s desire for a new contract was widely known, but the Jets executed the trade without having renegotiated his contract.

“I mean, in simple terms, we did talk about an extension,” Douglas said. “Once one wasn’t agreed upon, we had the conversation, and we felt good about making the trade. So, obviously, [he] came here, reported, had a great day here [April 1]. Again, we’re just waiting his arrival”

Douglas paused several seconds when asked if he believes Reddick reneged on a verbal agreement to play under his existing contract.

“From our standpoint, we’ve been really clear and direct with our communication,” he said. “[I have a] lot of respect for the agent, a lot of respect for the player, and I have faith that this will all get resolved.”

The Jets open Sept. 9 against the San Francisco 49ers. Coach Robert Saleh said there’s still time for Reddick to show up and be ready to play in the first game. Douglas declined to speculate on whether he expects Reddick for the opener. With regard to a timetable, he said they’d welcome him “with open arms” when he reports.

Reddick, who turns 30 on Sept. 22, is due to make a non-guaranteed $14.25 million in the final year of a three-year, $45 million contract. He’s the 20th-highest-paid edge player, based on yearly average, and he wants to be paid commensurate with the top edge rushers. He’s thought to be seeking about $25 million per year. He has 50.5 sacks over the past four seasons, the fourth-highest total in the league.

Reddick has accumulated $1.8 million in mandatory training camp fines. He also was fined $100,000 for skipping minicamp and he forfeited a $250,000 workout bonus by not showing for the offseason program. If his holdout lasts until the regular season, he will lose game checks — approximately $800,000 per week.

The Jets might be amenable to increasing his 2024 compensation, but they don’t want to do a long-term extension, sources said. Douglas is in a delicate position because he must be mindful of the entire team, knowing it might not play well in the locker room if he rewards a player who has yet to participate in a single practice.

“I don’t have the benefit of just dealing with one person and one agent, and so a lot of decisions that you make reverberate through the locker room and have a ripple effect in the locker room,” Douglas said. “So, to me, that is and will always be the most important thing.”

Not only did the Jets lose Huff, their sack leader, but they traded starting end John Franklin-Myers to the Denver Broncos because they assumed Reddick would take his place. Douglas said he doesn’t regret the Franklin-Myers trade.

“It’s like, no offense, but it’s an out-of-sight, out-of-mind type of situation,” linebacker and defensive leader C.J. Mosley said of the holdout. “From the business side, as athletes we understand exactly what’s going on. But as far as being on the field, he’s not with us and he hasn’t been here, so it’s not much to dwell on. Whenever they get it worked out and he gets to the building, as long as he’s ready to play and produce for us right away, then everything will be good.”

Without Reddick, the Jets have been rotating Micheal Clemons and 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald IV at one defensive-end position. The Jets fancy themselves as a Super Bowl contender, and Reddick was supposed to be the cherry on top of an already strong defense.

“We’re past the point of growth,” Douglas said. “I feel like this is a team that’s ready to win.”