Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon discusses the Week 6 loss to the Packers
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon talks about the team’s loss to the Packers in NFL Week 6 and looks ahead to Monday’s game against the Chargers.
Haason Reddick faces adversity for the first time in his third season with the Arizona Cardinals.
His third year with the Cardinals was the last time he didn’t have at least 11 sacks in a season and the last time he didn’t have at least 11 tackles for a loss.
Reddick has become a different beast since the Cardinals allowed him to play his natural edge rusher position. However, after being traded to the New York Jets from the Philadelphia Eagles last season, Reddick did not play football the entire season.
Reddick was fined nearly $10 million this season for holding the Jets out this offseason and through the first six weeks of the 2024 NFL season. From then on, he will continue to be fined nearly $800,000 for each game he misses.
He may be back on the field soon, though, now that the Jets are allowing Reddick to seek a trade. according to senior NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Russini reports that the Jets have given Reddick and his representatives a “short window” to look into this trade.
Haason Reddick finally on the move?
Russini reports that Reddick’s new representative, Drew Rosenhaus, has been contacting teams since Monday evening to see if there is any interest in Reddick.
Reddick was traded to New York for a conditional 2026 draft pick. The draft pick will be made in either the third or second round.
One condition affecting cardinals viz NFL insider Josina Anderson reported on Tuesday is that the pick will turn into a second-rounder if Reddick is dealt to an NFC team. This complicates the concept of a potential trade that would return Reddick to the Cardinals.
If Reddick only costs a conditional pick on the second day of the NFL Draft this offseason, his value will likely be even lower considering he still isn’t up to par with his current team.
Reddick wants a multi-year deal that will make him one of the better-paid pass rushers in the league. The Cardinals have almost $22 million in cap space (ninth in the NFL).
The Arizona Cardinals’ chances of trading for Haason Reddick
The Cardinals wanted him in the top 13 picks of the 2017 NFL Draft, even though he came from a small school (Temple). Arizona was burned for not re-signing Reddick after his breakout 2020 season (12.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss, which remains a career high).
Two seasons later as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, current Cardinals coach Gannon coached him to his first Pro Bowl nod in 2022 and found him with 16 sacks and 26 quarterback hits. These are still the best results of Reddick’s career.
The Cardinals rank fourth in the NFL in quarterback hits (22). They have the eighth-fewest sacks in the NFL (11), have the fifth-fewest quarterback knockdowns (nine) and rank last in rushing (six). Reddick meets the team’s needs in a system he feels comfortable with.
Therefore, if one of the teams Rosenhaus spoke to is the Cardinals, moving on to the eighth-year veteran position means a number of advantages for the Cardinals. Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort would also have to weigh these pros and cons. Reddick has not played in a game since January 15, and the dissatisfied star has made no progress in contract negotiations with subsequent teams.
Ossenfort also needs to decide if he wants to buy now, too, with the Cardinals sitting at 2-4 on the season.
Ossenfort didn’t spend much during his Cardinals tenure. It’s possible he’ll stick with that approach considering his team will face challenges through six games. He also viewed the Reddick trade and potential new contract as a chance to revitalize a team with two other highly drafted players out due to injuries.
Reddick, who turned 30 last month, can’t afford to lose a full year of great form. He was finally allowed to seek trade. Reddick returning to Arizona is a possibility if Ossenfort wants to make a splash.