Breaking: Disgruntled player arrives in Atlanta as a result of the Falcons-Jets deal.
Will Reddick be given a second chance in life?
After the Atlanta Falcons’ opening preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, their revamped pass rush suffered a serious knock to the face. Bralen Trice, a third-round rookie edge rusher who was highly anticipated, suffered an ACL tear and missed his whole rookie campaign. Even so, where would the potential substitutes come from?
Fortunately for the Falcons, before ever taking the field, New York Jets pass rusher Haason Reddick sought a trade. The Jets are implying that Reddick broke his promise to play out the remaining year of his contract, despite Reddick’s claims that the organization is not going ahead with a contract extension after trading for him knowing he wanted a new one.
Terry Fontenot will need to call the Jets and force them to decline Reddick’s trade request, even if they have been emphatic about not doing so. The Jets might reconsider if the Falcons present a strong enough offer.
New York won’t part with Reddick for pennies on the dollar, as he was purchased for a 2026 third-round pick that might become a second if some extremely tough requirements are met. They might want further compensation for the draft in addition to one of Atlanta’s players.
Trade between the Falcons and Jets sends Haason Reddick to Atlanta.
Although Carter would probably fall into a reserve role behind Pro Bowler Jermaine Johnson and 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald, trading Carter would offer the Jets an edge rusher to replace Reddick. Although it’s not ideal for the Jets, it’s preferable than a potential enmity ruining the momentum of a contending team.
The Falcons presently have the least amount of budget space in the league due to their commitments to quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr., so they would need to make more room elsewhere in order to finance a larger deal for Reddick. But there are plenty of cap gymnastics experts who can find out how to accomplish it.
Football-wise, Reddick’s arrival in Atlanta would be revolutionary. Even with Trice, the defense still needed a standout edge rusher, and Reddick is among the select few who have at least 10 sacks over the course of the previous four seasons.
The Falcons should be first in line if the Jets revert to their original alignment since Reddick has the ability to completely alter the composition of their defense.
