Eagles grant Pro Bowl defender permission to seek trade

Reddick, 29, was selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2017 draft, and he had an inauspicious start to his career, struggling through several underwhelming years as an off-ball linebacker. When Chandler Jones went down with a season-ending bicep injury in 2020, Reddick convinced Arizona’s coaching staff to let him take Jones’ place as a pass rusher. After all, Reddick had thrived in that role in college, but he was considered too small for it at the professional level. The move paid major dividends, as Reddick racked up 12.5 sacks that season and parlayed his success into a one-year, $6M deal with the Panthers in 2021.

Reddick compiled 11 sacks in his first and only season in Charlotte, at which point it became clear that his Cardinals breakout was no fluke. That convinced the Eagles to hand him a three-year, $45M contract in 2022, and he followed up a 16-sack performance that year with another 11-sack effort in 2023. He has made the Pro Bowl in both of his first two seasons in Philadelphia.

As Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com observes, Reddick’s contract has been an “issue” for over a year. After his tremendous 2022 campaign, in which he finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, both player and team knew that Reddick was underpaid relative to his market value. Reddick, however, did not hold out for a new contract, and the Eagles did not explore one either (which is understandable, as he was just one year into a three-year accord). Now, it is clear that Reddick wants to be paid like the elite player he is, and with 11 edge defenders enjoying AAVs of at least $20M, that would seem like the floor in negotiations with Philadelphia or any other club.

Of course, as both Shorr-Parks and Zach Berman of PHLY observe, allowing Reddick to shop himself does not necessarily mean that his time with the Eagles is up. Ultimately, Philadelphia simply may not like any trade offers enough to deal a top player at a premium position, but if the Eagles do decide to retain Reddick, Berman believes GM Howie Roseman will authorize a new contract rather than let a disgruntled player finish out his below-market deal. Berman adds that Roseman’s decision will be influenced, at least to some degree, by the presence of Josh Sweat, who is also entering a platform year.

In addition to his production over the past four seasons, Reddick has also proven to be highly durable, having missed one game in seven professional seasons. Although he will be 30 in September, it would not be surprising to see other teams pony up significant trade compensation along with a contract that would position Reddick among his highest-paid peers.