Haason Reddick’s absence from offseason workouts with the New York Jets has caused quite a stir in NFL circles.
After trading with the Philadelphia Eagles for the Pro Bowl edge rusher, the Jets failed to offer Reddick the contract he had been looking for over the last two seasons. His absence from workouts was only compounded by the edge rusher’s latest exploits and travel off the field.
Haason Reddick Shares Social Media Post From Japan
In an Instagram stories post made Friday morning, Reddick posted a photo of him in Tokyo, decked out in an outfit fitting of Japanese culture.
Haason Reddick has skipped the #Jets mandatory team meetings and is currently in Japan cosplaying 🤔 https://t.co/smQvyD8J20 pic.twitter.com/N9iPAwbHUY
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 21, 2024
Reddick has been away from the team since the trade in early April that brought the All-Pro edge rusher to New York from Philadelphia. He remains one of two players to record 10 or more sacks in each of the last four seasons, doing so with the Eagles, Carolina Panthers, and Arizona Cardinals.
His latest Instagram story drew the ire of several fans outside of the Jets’ circle due to his unwillingness to attend offseason workouts, but his apparent need to travel during the quiet period of the NFL season has not diminished.
Why Was Reddick Holding Out From Minicamp?
The simple answer for why Reddick wasn’t in attendance for the Jets’ minicamp is money.
The Temple product currently has the 22nd-highest contract among edge rushers in terms of average annual value, according to Spotrac, ranking behind former Jet Bryce Huff and other younger edge rushers. Reddick’s performance over the last few years has put him in rare company and is another sign that the former first-round pick is looking for a deal fair for a player of his caliber.
There’s another side of this coin, though.
When New York traded for Reddick in April, both sides reportedly agreed to play out his final year, potentially hitting a major payday next offseason, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN on the “Flight Deck with Rich Cimini” podcast.
Following the draft-day trade of John Franklin-Myers, though, Reddick reportedly understood the increased leverage he had and used it to his advantage. Following JFM’s trade to Denver, Reddick chose to take advantage of that leverage by sitting out of offseason workouts.
It’s the second straight year the edge rusher has done so as well. Reddick sat out of voluntary workouts with the Eagles in 2023 to try and get an increase in his guaranteed money after his 2022 Pro Bowl season.
Should the New York Jets Be Worried About His Absence?
As offseason workouts change, the need for certain positions to get major work during this time of the year isn’t as high as it once was. That’s the reality of Reddick’s absence not meaning nearly as much as it would have in previous seasons.
Then there’s the real fact about his trip to Japan: It simply doesn’t matter right now.
The mandatory minicamp concluded for the Jets last week. The next 40 days for NFL teams is as close to a vacation as players, coaches, and executives get. Players during this time of the year tend to take trips around the world or spend time with their families.
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Essentially, Reddick traveling to Tokyo means next to nothing simply because he isn’t the only NFL player going on trips overseas right now.
Simply, the reason Reddick’s story is in the news is because he’s holding out from the Jets and sat out of minicamp. Outside of that, players do not normally stay at the team facility at this point in the offseason, and it’s not uncommon for them to take trips.
Nothing is going on in the NFL right now. That doesn’t change because Reddick is in another country.