New York Jets Coach Gives Excuses for Defensive Star's Lack of Production

The New York Jets interim coach, Jeff Ulbrich, made excuses for their defensive star's lack of production this season.

Oct 31, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets defensive end Haason Reddick (7) on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Jets have continued to do this year what they have done for decades now: highly disappoint their fans and anyone who expected them to be competitive.

The Jets added left tackle Tyron Smith this past offseason, as well as veteran receiver Mike Williams to pair with Garrett Wilson while expecting their superstar veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers to return from an Achilles injury that sidelined him for all of 2023.

It would not be near enough, and the team holds a 4-12 record at time of writing, good enough for third in the AFC East.

The franchise fired Robert Saleh, their head coach since 2021, on October 8, and named Jeff Ulbrich, their defensive coordinator in that span, as the interim. It has not made much of a difference, as Saleh led the team to a 2-3 record this year before being given the boot, and Ulbrich has led the team to a 2-9 record since taking over.

Another player New York added in the offseason, coming via trade, was star linebacker Haason Reddick. It took a 2026 third-round draft pick to acquire the linebacker from the Philadelphia Eagles, and while it may have looked like a steal at the time, the Eagles may have known something that no one else did.

Through the first seven seasons of Reddick's career, the linebacker averaged 7.8 sacks per year, 62 total tackles per year, and nine tackles for loss per year. The veteran did not miss a game in that time, playing in 97 and starting in 64.

This year has been drastically different for Reddick. The linebacker missed out on mandatory training camps, and his holdout spilled over into the regular season. Reddick has played in only nine games this year, starting in only one, and his production has suffered because of it.

Despite the lack of production, the Jets' interim manager made excuses for the veteran today, calling Reddick "one of the most unselfish players [he's] ever been around."

Asked about Haason Reddick’s lack of production, Ulbrich tosses out excuses — no training camp, acclimation period, etc. Calls him “one of the most unselfish players I’ve ever been around.”

Interesting definition of “unselfish.” The man sat out half the season, hurting his…

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) December 30, 2024

It is but another example of just how out of touch the franchise and their staff is with things.

Reddick has proven to be anything but "unselfish" with his holdout spilling into the regular season, missing camps, and all of that playing a part in his production being nonexistent.

While Reddick has certainly not been the reason that New York has struggled this year, his lack of production, and Ulbrich's lack of being in touch with reality, are both a microcosm of organizational-wide issues that plague the franchise and will continue to drag it down until they are fixed.