Earlier this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets agreed to terms on a trade for edge-rusher Haason Reddick. The Eagles received a conditional 2026 third-round pick that can become a second-rounder if Reddick meets certain playing time and production benchmarks.
If things continue the way they’ve been going, though, that second-round pick will never have a chance to convey. Reddick has yet to report to camp with the Jets, as he’s been holding out while awaiting a new contract. Even as he’s missed training camp, practices and preseason action (while being fined millions in the process), the star edge-rusher appears no closer to a deal with the Jets at this moment.
As such, the 29-year-old requested a trade out of New York earlier this week. General manager Joe Douglas rebuked Reddick’s request, saying the team will not deal the two-time Pro Bowler under any circumstance this season.
Assuming this relationship is already too far gone to be saved, the Jets would be wise to work the phones on a potential trade, even if they publicly say otherwise. If that happens, which team would be the best fit for the disgruntled pass-rusher?
Arizona Cardinals
Any team that trades for Reddick is going to need a lot of cap space available in order to extend the sack artist, lest they want to run into the same issues with Reddick that the Jets have.
The Arizona Cardinals are loaded with available money starting next year, with $90.7M free in cap space in 2025, which ranks third league-wide.
The rationale behind this move is fairly obvious: Reddick has familiarity with head coach Jonathan Gannon. The two worked together in Philadelphia in 2022, which just so happened to be the best year of Reddick’s career when he accumulated 16 sacks, 26 QB hits, 41 pressures, a league-leading five forced fumbles and a fourth-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Of the four starting defensive linemen on the team (Zaven Collins, Bilal Nichols, Justin Jones, Dante Stills), no players have recorded even 15 sacks in their career. Reddick has 50.5 in the last four seasons alone.
Reddick would instantly become the best pass-rusher on the Cardinals, and he’d help Gannon install his defensive system more authoritatively after the team finished 25th in yards allowed last season.
The big issue with Arizona as a fit for Reddick is that it’s definitively rebuilding this year, and possibly even longer than that. Reddick is nearing his 30th birthday and may not have many more prime seasons left, and a rebuilding squad normally isn’t one to trade future assets for a guy demanding a huge contract.
However, Reddick was a first-round pick for Arizona back in 2017, and he first discovered his Pro Bowl form with the team in 2020. With a ton of familiarity in the desert, Reddick could jumpstart Gannon’s defense and secure himself a hefty payday in the process.
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