Disgruntled Pass Rusher Haason Reddick Throws Atlanta Falcons a Lifeline

All-Pro edge rusher Haason Reddick has been at odds with two team over a new contract, but he may be available to the Atlanta Falcons for cheap.

Former Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick needs a change of scenery, and the Atlanta Falcons might be the right fit. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons have a pass rush problem.

They're last in the NFL with five sacks on the season, despite having played one-more game than eight teams in the league. Of the teams that haven't had a bye week, only the Carolina Panthers have less quarterback pressures (21) than the Falcons (25).

Part of this is scheme. The Falcons have employed a bend-but-don't-break defense that has kept them in every game this season and has helped propel the team to a 4-2 record.

However, their 20.1% blitz rate is still 19th in the NFL. They're blitzing; they're just not getting to the quarterback with regularity.

Part of this is injuries. The Falcons acquired Matt Judon in August, and he has played well for the Falcons. However, Kaden Elliss might be the team's best pass rusher. He's been forced to play a more traditional inside linebacker role with the injuries to Troy Andersen and Nate Landman. Landman is back, and Andersen could be back this week against the Seahawks.

That will help.

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The New York Jets have a Haason Reddick problem.

The Eagles unloaded Reddick to the Jets for a third-round pick in March, not wanting to meet Reddick's request for a new contract. He's in the final-year of a three-year deal, $45-million deal that included $30-million guaranteed.

The Jets traded for Reddick knowing he wanted a new contract and have been unable to come to terms with him. He hasn't played for the Jets.

When he does play, he's a game-wrecker. Reddick has at least 11 sacks in each of the last-four seasons.

The Jets had previously dug in with Reddick and said they wouldn't grant him a trade, but according to reports, they've softened on that stance.

"The Jets have given Haason Reddick and his reps a short window to seek a trade, per sources," reported Dianna Russini on X. "His new representation, Drew Rosenhaus, has been reaching out to teams over the last 12 hours to gauge interest."

Ian Rapoport confirmed the Jets are working from their end as well.

"A few teams have been contacted about a potential trade, sources confirm," Rapoport reported on X. "Time will tell what the market is and whether Reddick is still seeking a multi-year deal."

If the Jets are making phone calls, the Atlanta Falcons would likely be their first call. "We have a pass rusher; you need a pass rusher. Let's talk."

One of the factors working against the Falcons, according to Josina Anderson, is one of the conditions the Eagles put in the original trade to the Jets. It was a third-round pick unless... the Jets traded Reddick back into the NFC. If that happens, the pick the Jets send to the Eagles in 2025 would upgrade to a second-rounder.

What's the risk on the Falcons side? Atlanta only has four-draft picks in 2025 - a first, second, fourth, and seventh. New head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot have preached culture in Atlanta since each of them took their respective positions.

Do they want to bring a player into the locker room that has already refused to play for two teams?

Matt Judon is an Atlanta Falcons player because the Patriots didn't want to cut him a new deal. Judon handled the situation very differently than Reddick. Rather than demand a new deal from the Falcons, he said he needed to earn one.

"The Atlanta Falcons know nothing about me as a football player and as a man," Judon said after being acquired by the Falcons. "They really know my previous resume. I can't really demand or ask for anything I haven't worked for, and that's where I've been my whole life. I'm going to work for it, man."

It's a safe bet Fontenot knew Judon's stance on a new deal before making the trade. The Falcons then sent a 2025 third-round pick to the Patriots.

For the Falcons to get involved, it would need to come much, much cheaper-- like a 2026 6th-round pick for Reddick and a 2026 seventh. They may have to bump the offer a little because of the Eagles' conditional pick. But it shouldn't go much higher.

Reddick is running out of options. There's no way he gets a big, new contract by sitting out 2024. He needs to get back on the field, and there's a golden opportunity in Atlanta. He should jump at it if the Falcons come calling.

The Falcons should call, but they should negotiate from a position of strength. Reddick is risky, so the compensation in a trade should be low risk. A low-risk, high reward option would be ideal for Atlanta. They could use his services, but they should be willing to cut him loose at the first sign of disruption.

You can do that when all it's going to cost you is moving down from 6th-round pick to a 7th in 2026.

His new agent Drew Rosenhaus is no dummy. Bud Dupree doubled his money as a free agent after one season in Atlanta. Reddick needs an image rehabilitation and to prove he's still a prized asset.

It sounds like a good match.

The NFL's trade deadline is November 5th. If the Falcons are going to address their anemic pass rush from the outside, they need to work fast.

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