Haason Reddick has been in a prolonged holdout with the New York Jets. Now, he is seeking a new contract after being traded from the Philadelphia Eagles.
This situation has created problems for the Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles, who traded him to New York earlier this year.
Clearly, the Eagles’ defense has been struggling without him, and many people are wondering if they can get him back.
However, because of strict NFL rules, the Eagles can’t trade for Reddick right now.
Here are the full NFL rules on trades and players being re-acquired. https://t.co/8MF8IaudEG pic.twitter.com/eXboevtY8n
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 30, 2024
The #Jets situation with Haason Reddick still has no resolution & some wondered if NYJ could trade him back to the #Eagles. Turns out, per NFL rules, not possible.
Teams can’t trade a player, then reacquire him via trade until 2 years elapse. Reddick won’t head back to Philly. pic.twitter.com/yHGE28zPNY
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 30, 2024
For context, the Eagles traded Reddick to the Jets in April for a third-round draft pick.
Based on certain conditions, that pick could turn into a second-rounder if Reddick plays 67.5% of the Jets’ defensive snaps and records 10 sacks.
Since Reddick is holding out and hasn’t played a single game, it seems unlikely that the Eagles will get the higher draft pick.
As a result, the Jets still need a star pass rusher, which has weakened their defense.
Moreover, rumors suggest that Reddick might be welcome to return to the Eagles, where he had great success.
For example, during his two seasons in Philadelphia, he racked up 27 sacks, establishing himself as one of the NFL’s top pass rushers.
To add further interest, ESPN’s Rich Cimini recently mentioned on his podcast that Reddick would likely welcome a return to the Eagles. In light of this, he is frustrated with the Jets’ current situation.
Unfortunately for both teams, under NFL rules, the Eagles cannot trade for Reddick again until two years have passed.
In fact, the NFL has a rule that once a team trades a player, they cannot trade for him again for at least two years.
Thus, the Eagles wouldn’t be allowed to trade for Reddick until April 2026 in this specific case.
With that being said, the NFL introduced this rule to prevent teams from undoing trades too quickly and to keep roster management fair across the league.
Nonetheless, if the Jets decide to release Reddick, the Eagles could get him back sooner.
If that happens, the Eagles could then sign him as a free agent, but there are no guarantees that New York would make that move, especially given the high level of talent Reddick brings to any defense.
Additionally, if Reddick is released, other teams needing a dominant pass rusher would also have the opportunity to sign him, making it a competitive situation for Philadelphia.
As the holdout continues, Reddick is missing games while trying to negotiate a better contract.
In the meantime, he is facing fines of about $800,000 for every game he misses, and if he continues to hold out for the entire season, he could lose up to $21 million.
Despite this, the Jets will still hold his contract rights for the 2025 season, meaning that Reddick remains tied to their team unless the Jets release him.
The Eagles, meanwhile, could use Reddick’s skills desperately.
To put it in perspective, they currently rank 16th in quarterback pressure and 30th in sacks, with only six in four games, which puts them near the bottom of the league.
To further illustrate the issue, their best pass rusher, Josh Sweat, has 18 quarterback pressures, but no other player on the team has recorded more than 10.
As we can see, the Eagles’ defense needs a boost, which is why fans and analysts have been speculating about the team looking for outside help, including the possibility of bringing Reddick back.
Throughout his career, Reddick has consistently shown his ability to rush the quarterback at a high level.
Over the last four seasons, he has recorded double-digit sacks for three different teams: Arizona, Carolina, and Philadelphia.
In addition to his versatility, Reddick recorded 11 sacks last season, which ranked him 15th in the NFL, and he earned a spot in the Pro Bowl for the second year in a row.
Although his sack numbers remained strong, other stats, like his tackles and forced fumbles, were lower than usual.
For instance, he had only 38 tackles, which was the second-lowest total of his career, and he didn’t force any fumbles after recording five the previous season.
At this point, the situation seems to be at a standstill.
On one hand, the Jets don’t want to lose a valuable player like Reddick, but they’re also dealing with his contract holdout.
On the other hand, the Eagles could use a star pass rusher like Reddick, but NFL rules mean they can’t trade for him until 2026.
Therefore, the only way the Eagles could get him back sooner is if the Jets release him, which remains uncertain.
And while it may seem logical for the Eagles to want Reddick back on their team, NFL rules prevent them from trading for him at this time.
With that in mind, unless the Jets decide to release him, the Eagles will have to explore other options to strengthen their defense.
