The Falcons pass rush has been a talking point for years, and that hasn’t changed through six games in 2024.
On Sunday, Atlanta was held without a sack against a Carolina offensive line that didn’t have their center, guard, or tackle. It marked the second time this season that the defense didn’t record a sack.
The Falcons have recorded a league-low five sacks. As a team, they have only pressured opposing quarterbacks 25 times this season, which ranks 29th in the NFL. There are six players that individually have more sacks than the Falcons do as a whole and another four that have the same amount.
John Abraham isn’t walking through the doors of Flowery Branch. The Falcons have to acquire a pass rusher via trade if they want to improve; it’s that simple, and a Haason Reddick trade is back on the table.
According to Dianna Russini, the Jets have given Reddick permission to seek a trade following the decision to get new representation. Drew Rosenhaus has been reaching out to teams already.
The Jets have given Haason Reddick and his reps a short window to seek a trade, per sources. His new representation, Drew Rosenhaus, has been reaching out to teams over the last 12 hours to gauge interest.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 15, 2024
The 29-year-old inked a three-year, $45 million deal with Philadelphia in 2022, posting 27 sacks over the last two seasons, but he was traded to the Jets this offseason because he was unhappy with his contract.
The Falcons have a need, and Reddick wants to be paid. If Atlanta were to trade for Reddick, it wouldn’t be the same as Matthew Judon. Reddick would need a new deal. On his current deal, he’s the 17th-highest-paid edge defender in average annual value. That would certainly change if a trade came to fruition.
$25-ish million per season is the going rate for a guy who hasn’t recorded fewer than 11 sacks since 2019. Reddick has made an All-Pro team and two Pro Bowls over the last two seasons. If that kind of production is available for trade, the Falcons should have no problem parting ways with the draft capital and handing him an extension.
The likes of Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, and Maxx Crosby aren’t going to be available. Falcons fans need to get that through their heads. A Haason Reddick trade is the most plausible upgrade to Atlanta’s pass rush.
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Photographer: Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
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