Haason Reddick gets $12m forgiveness payout as New York Jets buckle to contract pressure

The NFL's final contract standoff is over as pass rusher Haason Reddick and the New York Jets have finally come to a resolution.

The former Philadelphia Eagles star has not played for the Jets since being acquired in a trade in the offseason, holding out for a long-term contract extension. But the stalemate is finally over, although not in time for Reddick to take part in the Jets' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Reddick's agent Drew Rosenhaus and the team have reached a short-term solution, with the 30-year-old agreeing to a reworked short-term deal. “We will continue to work towards a long-term extension with the Jets,” Rosenhaus told ESPN after confirming the agreement, which sees the Jets waive $12 million in fines that had been imposed on the player.

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Reddick had one year remaining on a three-year, $45 million contract when he was traded to the Jets. But soon after he was sent to Gang Green, he demanded an extension and refused to engage in team activities and training camp. The former Arizona Cardinals linebacker accrued a huge fines bill as a result of his refusal to play, but has been forgiven and he will report for work on Monday.

The end of Reddick's holdout is yet another huge boost to Aaron Rodgers and the Jets after star wide receiver Davante Adams was acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday. The Jets are 2-4 and enter a pivotal phase in their season in Week 7, taking on the Steelers (4-2) on Sunday Night Football, and the addition of Reddick and Adams to the active roster renews hope the team can turn its season around.

Reddick, a first-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2017, was not the only man who held out during training camp across the league, with San Francisco 49ers stars Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams among the high-profile names who dug their heels in for a new contract.

But they put pen to paper on extensions shortly before the start of the season, while Reddick refused to budge and sat out the opening six games of the year. He is the first player in more than a decade to hold out beyond Week 1 and receive a reworked contract.

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Reddick was drafted 17th overall in 2017 and struggled to deliver consistent production for the Cardinals in his first three seasons, but he found his groove in 2020, when he racked up 12.5 sacks.

A one-year stint with the Carolina Panthers followed in 2021, when he accumulated 11 sacks, earning the New Jersey native a big-money deal with the Eagles. And he proved to be a big success in Philly, accounting for a career-high 16 sacks in 2022 as the Eagles reached the Super Bowl. The Jets can only hope he has a similar impact as they vie to save their season.