The Chicago Bears defense looked impressive against the Tennessee Titans in their regular season opener, but they may need to maintain that high level of performance consistently if injuries continue to hamper their slowly evolving offense.
In this situation, the Bears remain a prime candidate for acquiring edge rusher Haason Reddick, who is currently holding out with the New York Jets due to the lack of a long-term contract extension beyond his existing three-year, $45 million deal, which he is technically not participating in.
Jeremy Fowler from ESPN reported on September 11 that it is increasingly likely the Jets will trade Reddick before the November 5 deadline.
Fowler noted, “Their choices are clear: keep him on the reserve list until he reports or try to trade him closer to the deadline. The latter is becoming more probable, according to several league executives.”
Chicago had intense negotiations with the New England Patriots for pass rusher Matthew Judon, who eventually joined the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round pick. The Bears then acquired Darrell Taylor from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
Taylor had a notable performance against the Titans, recording 8 tackles and 2 sacks while playing alongside Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat. This makes the trade look like a significant success for Chicago already.
However, given the premium nature of the pass rusher position and Taylor’s one-year contract before he hits unrestricted free agency next March, the Bears might be keen on pursuing Reddick if the trade price is reasonable — and executives suggest the value could be right.
Reddick’s trade value has been diminishing due to his ongoing holdout with the Jets. New York had traded a conditional third-round pick, potentially upgrading to a second-round pick, to the Philadelphia Eagles for Reddick this offseason, with the expectation of securing a long-term deal, which has not materialized.
One executive told Fowler that it now seems unlikely the Jets will agree to a new deal with Reddick, and his trade value has fallen below what was initially paid for him. “They don’t have much of a choice,” the NFC executive said, indicating that while the Jets might not get a similar value in return, paying Reddick seems challenging given his clear dissatisfaction and the mismanagement of the situation by both sides.
Leave a Reply