Lions named suitor for edge rusher who seems unhappy with his 'new' team

When trading for a player who's entering the final year of his contract, there's often an inherent assumption you'll have to sign him to a new contract. The New York Jets presumably acquired edge rusher Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles in March, giving up a 2026 third-round pick that could become a second-rounder, with the idea they'd give him a multi-year deal.

Reddick did not come to Jets' OTAs or minicamp. The Jets reportedly told him they would not extend his contract this year, but his absence was a sign he and the team are not on the same page. If nothing else, Reddick has clearly changed his position on the matter.

Subsequent reporting has said the Jets won't be budging on a contract extension. ESPN's Rich Cimini suggested they'd try to "sweeten" Reddick's current deal, which calls for him to make $14.3 million in base salary.

Cimini succinctly summed up the situation.

"Basically, the Jets traded for a contract dispute, a bizarre twist to what seemed like a sound trade."

A common refrain is "dysfunctional organizations do dysfunctional things." The Jets have been a poster boy for that over the years. They'd be on the list of teams who'd acquire a player who openly wanted a new contract, then not even really entertain talks to give him one.

Lions named as potential suitor for Haason Reddick

The start of training camp will be a fresh Pandora's Box for Reddick's situation with the Jets. His continued absence will say it all, and it will make the Jets look worse than it will make him look. The idea of him being traded again before the season starts is not that far-fetched.

There will be suitors for someone who has 50.5 sacks over the last four seasons, and before he was dealt to the Jets the Detroit Lions felt like a possibility. That possibility has surfaced again.

On a trade big board entering training camp, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has Reddick on his list of players who could be dealt. The Lions are listed as a suitor for him.

"The list of interested teams should include those who believe they can win in the near future and who have the cap space to sign Reddick long-term. The Lions, for example, could use another complement to Aidan Hutchinson and have the second-most cap space in the league."
-Kristopher Knox, Bleacher Report

Knox's proposed cost to get Reddick is a 2025 third-round pick. The Jets already have the Lions' third-rounder next year, as Detroit sent it to them to get Giovanni Manu in this year's draft. And a third-rounder might be a little rich as the cost to get Reddick.

Then there's the obvious elephant in the room. If the Lions don't want to give Reddick a multi-year deal, which may been a factor earlier this offseason if they had interest in trading for him, they'd just be giving themselves the same issue the Jets have.

The Lions and Reddick are a good-looking fit on the surface. But getting down to what the mechanics of an actual deal would be, with Knox's proposed cost in mind, the idea diminishes in likelihood rather quickly.