This offseason, like some other teams, the New York Jets have been caught up in drama. Earlier it was Aaron Rodgers missing the camp due to his “unexcused” Egypt trip. Now it is Hasson Reddick’s contract episode.

The Jets have started their training camp, and as soon as they started, the team quickly found itself in the limelight. Reddick is currently in the final year of a three-year, $45 million contract, a deal which he signed with the Eagles in 2022. Now as he is expecting a new contract from the Jets, the franchise seems to fail in meeting his demands. All these issues have led Gang Green to be labeled a “dysfunctional franchise.” And hence, Colin Cowherd has a solution for them.

After Aaron Rodgers’ minicamp absence, the Jets’ new issue calls for some major revamps, per Cowherd.

In a recent episode on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on July 23, 2024, the host shared his thoughts on the current state of the Jets, questioning whether they’re too dysfunctional to succeed. Haason Reddick, a key player they acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles, is refusing to attend the minicamp until he gets a new contract. This situation has added to the problems, as they failed to address Reddick’s contract when they traded for him. Cowherd highlighted several issues with the Jets, including Aaron Rodgers missing a mandatory minicamp and a rumored tension between owner Woody Johnson and coach Robert Saleh.

He also mentioned that last season’s top sack leader, Bryce Huff, is now with the Eagles, adding to the team’s challenges. Overall, the team appears to be badly struggling even before the season has started. Hence, Cowherd suggested two ways to turn around a dysfunctional franchise. He argued, “To write the ship with a dysfunctional franchise is to nail the head coach and get a rising star at quarterback that you don’t have to pay. So you can build around him.”

Cowherd stated some examples as well, including the Texans’ playbook, suggesting this team has brought in and benefited from young, talented quarterback, CJ Stroud, and coach DeMeco Ryans. Stroud and Ryans had an unforgettable start with the Texans. The rookie quarterback and first-year coach achieved something remarkable by taking the team from last place to first in the AFC South, making them the fifth set of newcomers in NFL history to reach the playoffs in their debut season.

The analyst also named a few examples like the Rams with McVay and Goff, the Bills with McDermott and Allen, and the Bengals with Taylor and Burrow. So, all in all, according to Cowherd, the Jets, however, have a 40-year-old quarterback in Rodgers, coming off a major surgery and costly to acquire. Additionally, he is paired with a head coach who hasn’t proven himself in the NFL yet. Therefore, the future of the Jets is still hanging in the balance, especially after their star defender declined the team’s offer.

Haason Reddick rejected the offer!

The Jets are in a tough spot with Haason Reddick. They traded for him even though he wanted a new contract, and now he’s holding out, skipping all offseason activities and training camp. This makes the Jets look unprepared, as they should have secured a new deal before the trade. As per reports, they tried to offer him a raise, but Reddick wanted much more.

So, the Jets asked the linebacker “if he wanted more ($25-$28m annually), they needed to see him perform first.” He agreed to show up and prove himself before getting a bigger contract but then didn’t follow through. And now the franchise is not willing to negotiate anything until Reddick appears in the camp.

Hence, this incident highlights the risk of trading for players who want new deals without securing those deals first. Teams like the Texans (when trading for tackle Laremy Tunsil), Seahawks (for safety Jamal Adams), and Rams (for cornerback Jalen Ramsey) have made similar mistakes. So, the Jets’ decision to trade for Reddick without a new contract has backfired and put them in a challenging position. Now, they’re stuck waiting for him to return while facing fines and uncertainty.