On the second day of training camp, Jets head coach Robert Saleh addressed the absence of linebacker/edge Haason Reddick -- who is seeking a new contract after being acquired in a trade with Philadelphia in the offseason. He did not participate in OTAs or the team's mandatory minicamp.
"It is what it is," Saleh told reporters. "That's the business part of it. We have 89 other guys that we have to prepare. He's a veteran, he's been with multiple teams, he's played multiple positions, he's had success in multiple different ways. At this point in his career, I'm sure he knows exactly what he needs to do to prepare himself to play football. So I'm not overly concerned."
After Bryce Huff left in free agency, signing with the Eagles, the Jets acquired Reddick (who will turn 30 on Sept. 22), a two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher with 58 career sacks in seven NFL seasons, from the Eagles in March for a conditional third-round pick in 2026. It would become a second-rounder if he plays 67.5% of the defensive snaps and gets 10 sacks this season. Reddick was a first-round pick by Arizona in 2017 who has double-digit sacks in four straight seasons, including 27 over the past two years with the Eagles.
Asked if he's concerned Reddick would fall behind if he misses additional time, Saleh said: "I'm not worried about that. I'm actually excited for Will McDonald, Takk McKinley, who's trying to resurrect his career, and Micheal Clemons getting more opportunities. There's a bunch of guys on this team that are going to get reps that they would not have necessarily gotten with him [Reddick] being here. So I see it more as an opportunity for guys to really work their craft and find ways to get better and force their way onto the football field."
McDonald, the team's top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, saw limited action in his first season out of Iowa State. He appeared in 15 games (none as a starter) and took 184 snaps on defense (19%) and 128 on special teams (30%).
"I'm still waiting for pads because that's always going to be his thing," Saleh said, referring to McDonald. "He's Gumby, he's athletic, he's quick twitch, he's super long, explosive. But the thing for him is going to be the power aspect of football, the violence aspect of football and winning the power battle, especially in pass rush. He looks good and I'm sure he's a lot stronger."
