At the start of the 2024 season, these six players—from major contributors to supporting cast members—face unclear futures.
In the NFL, uncertainty is intrinsic to the business. Player careers are brief, contracts lack full guarantees, and salary cap constraints necessitate teams occasionally parting ways with valued players.
For players, maximizing earnings in a league known by the acronym “Not For Long” is often the primary goal. Meanwhile, teams must navigate between immediate success and long-term planning to meet both current competitive demands and future objectives.
Occasionally, these issues escalate and cast doubt on a player’s future. Other times, a player’s future in the league and with the team is questionable due to a mismatch between performance and potential.
Even though the NY Jets are expected to go far in the playoffs, they are still subject to unpredictability. We’ll be looking at six athletes today whose futures are unknown as of 2024.
1. Haason Reddick, DE, NY Jets
Haason Reddick has been making headlines lately. When he was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New York Jets on March 29th, assurances were given that his contract, which has one year left with $15 million non-guaranteed, would not pose a problem.
Although Reddick’s absence from voluntary OTAs caused some controversy, it was ultimately unimportant. But his absence from the required mini-camp currently isn’t.
Reddick has been one of the league’s most effective pass rushers the past four years, so it should come as no surprise that he wants a new contract that pays tribute to his skills.
Nevertheless, it appears that both Reddick’s team and the Jets were aware of how contract negotiations would proceed. Reddick seems to be feeling differently lately.
The Jets made a strategic decision by allowing their homegrown edge rusher Bryce Huff to leave for Philadelphia in free agency, believing they were upgrading by acquiring Haason Reddick through a trade. However, questions have arisen about whether it would have been wiser to retain Huff.
Huff secured a contract worth $17 million per year with the Eagles, whereas Reddick is reportedly not aiming for a deal at the top end of edge rusher salaries, which can reach up to $28 million annually. Considering upcoming extensions for key young players like Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson, and others, such a high expenditure may not be feasible.
The financial considerations, coupled with concerns about the optics of trading for a player who might immediately hold out, cast significant doubt on Reddick’s future beyond 2024 with the Jets.