In what has to be considered shocking news to open the NFL offseason, star edge rusher Haason Reddick has been given permission by the Philadelphia Eagles to seek a trade.
Reddick, 29, has been among the best pass rushers in the NFL during his two seasons with the Eagles. The former first-round pick from Temple has also put up four consecutive double-digit sack seasons.
For the Eagles, this is merely financial. Reddick is set to count $20.67 million against the cap in 2024. It’s the final year of his current contract. Given that Philadelphia has no desire to extend him, trading the Pro Bowler makes a ton of sense.
Any team acquiring Reddick would likely look to extend him. This would lower the star’s cap number in 2024, creating an even more robust market for his services. Here, we look at four ideal landing spots for the star pass rusher.
Related: Updated NFL trade rumors
San Francisco 49ers pull off blockbuster Haason Reddick trade
Fresh off brutal loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, San Francisco now turns its attention to the offseason. The team is considered odds-on favorites to hoist the Lombardi next February. But getting more reinforcements in the mix must be in the cards.
The 49ers currently have a mere $570,000 in cap room. The expectation is that general manager John Lynch and Co. will restructure contracts to make more room. Per Over the Cap, restructuring the deals of Trent Williams, Deebo Samuel, Arik Armstead, Fred Warner and George Kittle would save the 49ers roughly $62 million.
The idea of teaming Reddick up with Nick Bosa could be too hard for the 49ers to pass up on. He would certainly be an upgrade over impending free agent Chase Young. That’s for sure.
Related: 4 moves the San Francisco 49ers must make to return to Super Bowl
New England Patriots pull off blockbuster trade
Rumors from New England suggest that they are looking to trade down from the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft while adding a veteran quarterback to the mix. This seems to suggest that new head coach Jerod Mayo and Co. are not looking to go into a full-scale rebuild.
Whether that’s foolish remains to be seen. What we do know is that New England needs another edge pass rusher to go with Matt Judon. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore led the team with 8.5 sacks this past season. Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley was second with a mere 4.5. Adding Reddick to the mix for a defensive-minded Mayo would be a boon.
Related: NFL offseason calendar
Haason Reddick heads to the Chicago Bears
Chicago’s blockbuster deal for Montez Sweat ahead of the in-season NFL trade deadline proved to be an absolute winner. He ended up leading the team with 6.5 sacks in eight games. Now that Sweat is extended, it makes sense for general manager Ryan Poles to find him a running partner. After all, Justin Jones was second on the team with 4.5 sacks.
Chicago also has the draft capital to pull off a deal of this ilk. In additio to two first-round picks (1st and 9th overall) they have five more selections. Why not offer up a mid-round pick to Philadelphia for Reddick? It makes too much sense.
Related: 2024 NFL salary cap tracker
Baltimore Ravens add top-end pass rusher in blockbuster NFL trade
Baltimore is slated to see both Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy hit NFL free agency. Those two combined for 18.5 sacks a season ago. Meanwhile, star defensive tackle Justin Madubuike (13 sacks in 2023) is also set to hit the open market.
That’s a whole heck of a lot of production. At this point, Madubuike would seemingly be the priority for general manager Eric DeCosta and Co. Adding Reddick on the cheap given his previous production just makes a ton of sense.
- Haason Reddick stats (2020-23): 83 QB hits, 51 tackles for loss, 50.5 sacks 13 forced fumbles
Imagine this type of production under new Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr. Reddick would excel under the young defensive mind. That’s for sure.