$5 million and counting – Haasan Reddick to forfeit $800,000 game check for sitting out Jets regular season opener with 49ers

Haason Reddick’s fines continue to stack up.

The New York Jets added the All-Pro linebacker to an already stellar defense ahead of the upcoming NFL season, acquiring Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a conditional 2026 third-round NFL Draft pick.

“Whatever happens, I’m going to be happy,” the talented edge rusher said in his introductory news conference with the Jets. “I’m going to give my all, no matter what. That’s just who I am as a person.”

However fives months on, there’s still no sign of Reddick, who still hasn’t reported to the team and missed the entire preseason as he continues to hold out for a big contract extension.

It’s a decision that has come at a great financial cost to the 29-year-old.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Reddick has accrued more than $5 million in mandatory NFL fines amid his holdout for a new contract.

He will miss the Jets’ season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in the first Monday Night Football of the season on September 9, forfeiting a game check of nearly $800,000.

Reddick will reportedly forfeit an additional $800,000 for each game he subsequently misses. He also will miss out on having his entire salary guaranteed with no immediate contract resolution in sight.

So how did we get to this point?

Well, Reddick is currently set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025 after playing this fall on a $14.25 million base salary, none of which is guaranteed.

The Eagles ultimately parted ways with the pass rusher because they could not meet his future contract demands. He ended up with the Jets who shipped out John Franklin-Myers to the Broncos in order to accommodate Reddick.

New York acquired Reddick knowing that he wanted a new deal and seemingly thought they could figure it out.

However, the two sides are still at an impasse as the former Philly star continues to hold out for a long term deal before hitting the field.

SNY previously reported that Reddick was seeking a deal worth between $25 million and $28 million per year that would make him one of the league’s highest-paid edge rushers.

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The Jets even offered Reddick an extension back when they traded for him in April, but Reddick’s camp reportedly rejected it.

Now, we’re two weeks into training camp and Reddick is still yet to attend. The unwanted saga continues to rumble on as speculation intensifies that the Jets might start considering alternative options.

Asked on Monday about the status of Reddick, head coach Robert Saleh said: “I still have nothing.”

However, he was still holding out hope that Reddick’s integration is going to happen sooner rather than later.

“I don’t know because there’s examples of players who, like Aaron Donald, Chris Jones a couple years ago, who didn’t show up to Week 1 and they did just fine,” Saleh told reporters.

“When you get to that stage in your career, I don’ have the right answer for you on that one.”

Saleh also insists there is a silver in all of this, chiefly, that other guys, like second-year edge Will McDonald, are getting extra reps in because of Reddick’s absence.

“I guess it doesn’t matter what I thought at the time. The reality is he’s not here, but there are like I said, there are a bunch of guys who are, who are working their tails off,” Saleh said.

“Will McDonald, like I said, is getting a lot of reps that he otherwise wouldn’t have got and for it, he’s been improving every day.”

“I’ll stand firm that when he gets here, we’re going to welcome him with open arms,” Saleh said more recently.

“We’re going to love him up, and he’s going to be a part of this football team and he’s going to help us win a lot of football games. He’s got to sort through the financial stuff, which is none of my business.”

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Reddick has been one of the NFL’s top linebackers since being drafted by the Cardinals in 2017. The former first-round pick has double-digit sacks in four straight seasons, including 27 during the past two years with the Eagles, while being selected for two Pro Bowls and earning a second-team All Pro nod in 2022. 

Reddick’s arrival beefs up an already formidable Jets defensive unit that includes C.J. Mosley, Jamien Sherwood, Quincy Williams, and Jermaine Johnson. It also helps soften the blow of losing Bryce Huff, who signed a three-year contract with the Eagles in March.

The Jets pride themselves on being a stingy defense and Williams in particular is looking forward to the Week 1 clash with the offensive juggernaut that is the San Francisco 49ers in the first Monday Night Football of the season.

He exclusively told talkSPORT: “It’s the first game, it’s against Christian McCaffrey – he’s one of the best running backs – but we have the first best running back, in Breece Hall.

“No1 running back against No2 – I talk to Breece all the time. Telling him I am going to make him better, and he is going to make me better.

“We are ready, I have got it circled.”

talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio – join us for coverage of the opening Monday Night Football of the season from 1am on talkSPORT2 when the San Francisco 49ers host the New York Jets.
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