New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was quick to defend his teammate Haason Reddick as the defender's prolonged holdout continues deep into training camp.
" There’s always new things in the league, I’ve been around 20 years; I’ve seen a lot of stuff," Rodgers told reporters on Tuesday. "I think as players we always first try to side with the player because we know what it’s like to be a player.”
Reddick has racked up close to $1.5 million worth of fines in his brief tenure with the Jets . For each day of training camp he misses, the NFL star will accrue a further $50,000 penalty. At the time of writing, Reddick has missed 22 days and counting.
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New York acquired Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles in late March for a conditional 2026 third-round draft pick. The two-time Pro Bowler has racked up 27.0 sacks over the last two seasons and finished fourth in the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The edge rusher has appeared at any Jets facility just once since being acquired: all the way back on April Fools' Day for his introductory press conference. He requested a trade from the team on Monday, and GM Joe Douglas indicated that is not something the Jets are looking to accommodate anytime soon.
“I don’t know him well,” Rodgers said of Reddick. “I had a couple messages with him, I believe, when he got traded. Obviously, we’d love 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’s got to make the best decision for him and his family.”
"It's not frustrating because I don't control it," head coach Robert Saleh said. "But we're excited about our (defensive line) group. We're still looking forward for him to get here when he's ready."
The Jets have heavily invested in their defensive line in recent seasons. The team spent two first-round draft picks -- Jermaine Johnson in 2022 and Will McDonald in 2023 -- to turn the position into arguably the team's strength.
If anything, Reddick is a luxury, but Saleh is still eager to have him back: "When he's ready, we'll embrace him with open arms and we'll attack the moments that he brings us."
The Jets coach was also asked if Reddick has been a distraction for the Jets. "It's not. I promise you, it's not." Jets beat writer Connor Hughes called the situation a "headache."
When asked if he would speak to Reddick, Rodgers said: " Yeah, it’s possible, anything is possible." Perhaps the quarterback wants to be removed from the situation.
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