Lions check in on Jets' Haason Reddick

Aidan HutchinsonThe horrific injury gives the Lions a clear need heading into Super Bowl contention. There are nearly three weeks left until the trade deadline, and Detroit has now reached base with its top edge rusher available.

The Lions have reached out Haason Reddickis the camp, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. While this could be considered due diligence, the Lions make sense as a Reddick landing spot. The Jets gave the reluctant edge rusher permission to pursue a trade shortly after the sides discussed a solution that would bring him to New York.

Reddick has been in contention with the Jets since shortly after his arrival in late March and has thrown six game controls. The standout player receives a base salary of $14.5 million, although the prorated amount is now only more than $9 million. The Lions held more than $28 million in cap space before their tournament Alim McNeill Extension; That number ranked them fourth in the NFL.

The Jets probably aren't particularly interested in doing Reddick a favor by taking on some of his salary to facilitate a trade, but at this point the team appears willing to see what's in store for the disgruntled star player is. Reddick sought a multi-year contract; The Jets haven't moved and don't plan to. For an extended period of time, the Jets were unwilling to discuss trading Reddick. This would mark a strange end to a chapter that hasn't reflected well on the team, but the sooner the Jets move on, the better their compensation should be. Reddick's contract negotiated by the Eagles runs through the end of the season, and the 30-year-old defenseman risks minimizing his 2025 free agent market by staying off the field.

Reddick's 50.5 sacks from 2020-23 rank fourth in the NFL. The Lions have struggled with Hutchinson's backup players for most of the star defenseman's tenure. With the league's sack leader gone for 2024 (almost certainly this season), it's obvious that Detroit will need more help.

“Look, we are open to everything. Brad is working on it“,” Dan Campbell said from GM Brad Holmes. “We won't be in a hurry. Brad would tell you – man, he does his homework. The crew is doing their homework. They look at everything. But we won't just do something to make it happen. It has to be right. It has to be the right one and the pieces have to fit together.”

The Lions have signed Marcus Davenport to a one-year, $6.5 million deal and still have rosters like Josh Paschal And James Houston. Of that trio, only Davenport has a sack. The oft-injured former first-rounder has tallied a half-sack and is on IR, where he spent most of his tenure with the Vikings. Hutchinson's 7.5 put the Lions ahead by five points, underscoring the need – despite Campbell's comments expressing patience.

Reddick would quickly check that box, although the Lions' approval of another extension — for a player who hasn't played since an Eagles wild-card loss — would be unexpected. The Jets offered Reddick multiple deals that sweetened his 2024 salary, but since the team reneged on its promise to engage in true extension talks, the D-end stayed away from the team for months.

The Lions have already paid Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, David Montgomery and McNeill this year. Would they be willing to pay Reddick if it meant a better chance at the first Super Bowl berth in team history?