Jets Can't Trade Haason Reddick Back to Eagles Amid Contract Holdout Due to NFL Rule

Haason Reddick has continued his holdout after failing to agree on a reworked contract with the New York Jets, while the team that traded him to the Big Apple this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles, has suffered through a non-existent pass rush through four games.

That naturally has led to some talk that the two teams should agree to takesies-backsies on that deal, but it turns out that NFL rules prohibit such an arrangement for two years, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

In April, the Eagles traded Reddick to the Jets for a conditional third-round pick that can become a second-rounder if the star edge-rusher plays 67.5 percent of the team's defensive snaps this season and reaches at least 10 sacks.

Prior to that trade, the Eagles signed former Jets pass-rusher Bryce Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million deal.

Those two moves haven't worked out well for anyone involved.

Reddick requested a trade from the Jets in August and has continued his holdout through four games, keeping the team without a key presence on the defensive side of the ball and virtually guaranteeing that the Eagles won't be getting a second-round pick out of the deal.

Huff, meanwhile, has been dreadful in his first four games with the Eagles, registering no sacks or quarterback hits.

ESPN's Rich Cimini said on his Flight Deck podcast last week that Reddick—who registered 27 sacks in his two seasons with the Birds—probably would welcome a return to Philly.

"I think Reddick is so frustrated with the Jets' situation—of course he did request a trade in August—that he wouldn't mind going back to Philadelphia," he said (h/t Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice). "Again, heard it from a little birdie. Take it for what it's worth."

Unfortunately for Reddick, the Jets and the Eagles, such a scenario isn't permitted by NFL rules, at least via a trade. If the Jets release Reddick, however, the Eagles could be among the teams that would actively pursue him as a free agent.