Jets owner urges holdout Haason Reddick to join the team after Robert Saleh’s firing

Woody Johnson had an urgent message for Haason Reddick on the day the New York Jets‘ owner made the stunning decision to fire his head coach.

It’s time, Johnson insisted, for the pass rusher to finally end his holdout.

“Haason, get in your car, drive down (Interstate) 95 and come to the New York Jets,” Johnson said at the end of a conference call Tuesday to discuss the firing of Robert Saleh. “We can meet you and give you an escort right into the building and you’ll fit right in. And you’re going to love it here and you’re going to feel welcome and you’re going to accomplish great things with us.”

Johnson fired Saleh five games into the Jets’ 2-3 start. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will serve as the interim coach the rest of the season.

Reddick, a native of Camden, New Jersey, was acquired from Philadelphia during the offseason to help boost New York’s pass rush. But since showing up at the team’s facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, on April 1 to made his trade official, Reddick has not been with the team while locked in a contract dispute.

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The 30-year-old edge rusher requested to be traded on Aug. 12, but general manager Joe Douglas quickly nixed that, saying New York would not grant his wish to be dealt. Reddick has not played this season and it’s uncertain when, or if, his contract situation will be resolved.

“This is something I’ve never seen before,” said Johnson, the Jets’ owner since 2000. “I don’t think any of us have seen anything like this. So I think you have to be part psychologist and part some other ‘gist’ to try to figure out what is actually going on.”

Reddick was entering the final year of a three-year, $45 million deal under which he was to make a non-guaranteed $14.25 million in base pay this season. He is forfeiting a game check — about $800,000 — for each one in which he doesn’t play. And that’s on top of the fines for his holdout that surpassed $5 million, including over $2 million for missing all of training camp.

He was placed on the reserve/did not report list on July 25, the second day of the team’s training camp practice.

“I hope that the young man can come to the team,” Johnson said. “We’d like to have Haason here. We’d welcome him with open arms. I will extend that. I haven’t talked to Jeff, but I think he would feel exactly the same way.

“So when he gets here, he’ll find a very welcome locker room and he’ll be able to fit right in. But he’s got to get here first.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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