Granted permission to see what is out there in a trade, Haason Reddick attempted to make clear he did not make this request and wants to stay with his hometown team. But the Eagles are receiving interest in the accomplished pass rusher.
Tied to a deal he has outplayed, Reddick is going into a contract year. Teams have reached out to the Eagles about the standout edge defender, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. Reddick is tied to a $14.25M base salary but a $21.88M cap number for the 2024 season.
Reddick signed a three-year, $45M Eagles deal in 2022. His dominant showing that season played a major role in the Eagles voyaging to Super Bowl LVII, and it showed the bargain the team landed by giving Reddick that contract. Once stationed as an off-ball linebacker in Arizona, Reddick has consistently shown his sack acumen in the years since.
He has led the Eagles in sacks in each of the past two seasons, ripping off 16 during the 2022 regular season — nearly helping the Eagles take down the 1984 Bears’ single-season sack record — and 3.5 more in the playoffs. Reddick totaled 11 sacks last season. Given the going rate for high-end pass rushers, Reddick being tied to this contract will seemingly force a resolution before the start of the 2024 campaign.
“This is home for me,” Reddick said earlier this month. “I was born and raised here. Two of the most fun years playing football in my life came here. I’ve cherished being an Eagle.”
The Eagles have Josh Sweat joining Reddick in a contract year and Nolan Smith, who drew Reddick comps in the pre-draft process, on a rookie deal. The team waived Derek Barnett last season, ending a seven-year partnership. Reddick, 29, obviously represents a major piece for the NFC power. He did not make his contract an issue going into last season, though McLane adds a belief exists he staged a hold-in of sorts while dealing with a minor groin injury early in camp. It would be understandable if he changed course regarding his contract now. Being set to turn 30 in September, Reddick is running out of time to cash in on the value he has displayed as an edge player.
At $15M per year, Reddick is tied as the NFL’s 16th-highest-paid edge rusher. Once the likes of Danielle Hunter, Bryce Huff and Jonathan Greenard come off the board in free agency, Reddick’s financial standing will likely drop. Those players’ eventual deals will undoubtedly factor into Reddick’s extension drive.
“I don’t know how that will play out,” Nick Sirianni said, via McLane, regarding Reddick’s situation. “Haason’s been awesome for us these last two years. Big reason why we’ve been to the playoffs the last two years is the contributions of Haason. He’s played really, really outstanding football. We’ll see how that plays out, and hopefully he’s an Eagle.”
While the Eagles have some intriguing personnel who could conceivably replace Reddick, a coach closer to the hot seat will likely support retaining him. It will be interesting to see what is offered, should this process reach that stage, as the Eagles attempt to regroup after a disastrous finish to their NFC title defense. Darius Slay returned on an extension after being in trade and release rumors last year, while Barnett also returned to the fold after being given permission to seek a trade previously. Will the Reddick process conclude the same way?
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