With Marcus Davenport out for the season, the Detroit Lions are at least theoretically (if not actually) in the market for an edge rusher between now and the trade deadline. There are some options out there, and any mention of those options seems to have to include Haason Reddick.
Reddick's story is well-known by this point, but let's briefly refresh. The New York Jets acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason, knowing he wanted a new contract. But they failed to get a contract in place before the deal was done. Reddick may have changed his mind about showing up without a new deal in place, but as we head into Week 6 he has not shown up for anything since the Jets acquired him.
Frankly, Reddick is a headache the Jets would probably like to unload (owner Woody Johnson's recent comments aside). But the Lions, among other teams, are not very likely to take it on.
A lot of the default Reddick-to-the Lions trade speculation seems to have subsided. But until the trade deadline has come and gone, it'll be a threat to resurface.
Former NFL GM takes the Haason Reddick-to-the-Lions baton
In his "5 bold predictions for the 2024 NFL Trade Deadline" piece for The 33rd Team, former Minnesota Vikings general manager Jeff Diamond predicted the Lions acquiring Reddick.
"Plenty of teams need help rushing the passer, including the Lions, who have Super Bowl aspirations. However, the pass defense could be their undoing, as it was last season. Detroit ranks 27th in pass defense and has only 11 sacks (tied for 19th) through five games. Aidan Hutchinson has 6.5 sacks, and no other Lion has reached two sacks."
"A better pass rush will help the young corners, like first-rounder Terrion Arnold."
"The Lions have plenty of cap room this year ( more than $40 million) and in 2025 to take on Reddick’s $14.25 million base salary and extend his contract. They are missing a third-round pick in next year’s draft, but it may only take a fourth or fifth-rounder to get Reddick from the Jets, who probably want to rid themselves of his contract drama."
The Jets would probably like to rid themselves of Riddick's "contract drama", which they invited and would transfer to a new team. That also likely means the cost to acquire him in a trade will be lower than they'd like. Reddick has also, obviously, not participated in anything in terms of team-organized football activity since the Eagles' playoff game in January.
It's convenient to offer the Lions as a team with a need Reddick can fill, even it feels like he's not a fit on multiple fronts. Diamond simply took that baton from other outlets and writers, leaning into the same things we've seen out there before.