AFC East Notes: Jets, Godchaux, Fins, Bills
Aaron Rodgers made a surprising push to come back from a September Achilles surgery last season. That predictably ended without the Jets quarterback suiting up again. Robert Saleh is now planning to keep his starter on ice until the games count again. The fourth-year Jets HC said he does not expect Rodgers to play during the preseason, though he noted (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) he is still deciding with regards to his QB’s participation in the team’s preseason finale. Rodgers sat out the first two Jets preseason games last year but received some work — after pushing Saleh for a chance to suit up, despite not having previously played in the preseason since 2018 — in the third contest. Teams generally park their starters for the third preseason game, and while it would be interesting to see how Rodgers looks post-surgery, it currently appears Week 1 will be his first appearance.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- Haason Reddick‘s holdout has become much costlier. In addition to the $50K-per-day fines the recently acquired Jets pass rusher is accumulating, a $300K penalty is expected to come his way due to a CBA wrinkle. As veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson points out, Reddick can be fined up to 15% of his signing bonus. The Jets are not obligated to go after that money but could. They will levy the fines, Saleh assumes (via SNY’s Connor Hughes). A report last week suggested the sides were moving closer to ending this holdout, but it persists.
- Joining Matt Judon as a contract-seeking Patriots defender, Davon Godchaux is not practicing fully. The veteran defensive tackle is protesting his deal by staging what appears to be a partial hold-in, per the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, who notes Godchaux went through some drills at Pats practice Tuesday. Unlike Judon’s situation, which has escalated, this has not become acrimonious just yet. A 2025 free agent-to-be, Godchaux is tied to a two-year, $20.8MM deal that calls for a $7.15MM base salary. As the Patriots have paid several key players, Godchaux did not participate in minicamp and has angled for what would be his second extension with the team.
- Shaquil Barrett‘s retirement caught his agent and the Dolphins by surprise. Drew Rosenhaus said the veteran edge rusher had been considering it for a while. Barrett, 32, alluded to spending more time with his family. Rosenhaus mentioned the tragedy the two-time Super Bowl winner endured last year, when Barrett’s 2-year-old daughter drowned in the family’s pool, during an interview with WSVN’s Donovan Campbell (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson). While Barrett returned for a final Buccaneers season after that tragedy, he is not planning to play an 11th season. Though, Rosenhaus did not rule out a comeback later this year. The Dolphins circled back to Emmanuel Ogbah in the wake of Barrett’s decision.
- The Dolphins finished last season down several linebackers due to injury. One of them, Cameron Goode, is not expected to be back by Week 1, Jackson adds. The torn patella tendon the 2022 seventh-round pick sustained in Week 17 led him to the Dolphins’ active/PUP list. It would not surprise to see him transferred to the reserve/PUP list, which requires a four-game absence, next month. Goode joined Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jerome Baker in being out for Miami’s wild-card game last season. Chubb and Phillips remain on Miami’s PUP list.
- The Bills entered camp with three players — Mike Edwards, Damar Hamlin and second-rounder Cole Bishop — competing to start alongside Taylor Rapp, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia notes (subscription required). Rapp spent much of last season behind longtime starters Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer but re-signed as the team went through a spate of cap cuts. Hamlin, who is on Buffalo’s roster bubble figures to see more first-unit time due to recent injuries to Edwards and Bishop. Edwards is week-to-week with a hamstring ailment, per Buscaglia, while Bishop left Tuesday’s practice. These setbacks led the Bills to bring in 36-year-old veteran Kareem Jackson on Tuesday.
Jets Sign TE/FB Anthony Firkser
The Jets have replaced one blocking specialist with another. The team announced that they’ve signed tight end Anthony Firkser. In a corresponding move, the Jets released fullback Nick Bawden.
Firkser has served in a variety of roles during his NFL career, most commonly as a tight end or fullback. He was once relatively productive in the receiving game, including a 2020 campaign where he hauled in 39 catches for 387 yards. He was also called upon as a run blocker, especially while he was in Tennessee. During the 2021 season, Firkser got into a career-high 109 run-blocking snaps for the Titans.
Since leaving Tennessee, Firkser hasn’t seen a consistent role at any of his stops. He got into 11 games for the Falcons in 2022, finishing with nine catches while getting into 47 blocking snaps. After spending the 2023 preseason in New England, the veteran spent much of the regular season on Detroit’s practice squad.
This Jets signing will be a bit of a homecoming for Firkser. The Harvard product got his first NFL opportunity with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He’ll be taking the roster spot previously held by Bawden, who was just activated from the PUP yesterday. Bawden spent the past three years in New York, including a 2023 campaign where he got into a career-high 16 games. The former seventh-round pick saw time on more than 90 blocking snaps for the Jets in 2023 while also seeing a significant role on special teams.
Firkser could easily slide right into that role, but the team also has some young options for their now-open fullback gig. 2022 third-round pick Jeremy Ruckert has excelled as a run blocker, while UDFA Lincoln Sefcik has reportedly been working as an H-back during the first few practices.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/24
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Jesse Matthews
Houston Texans
- Activated from PUP: FB Andrew Beck
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: K Riley Patterson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Terrell Bynum
- Waived (failed physical): LB Darien Butler
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: K John Parker Romo
New York Jets
- Activated from PUP: FB Nick Bawden
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: DB Josiah Scott
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from NFI: WR Ricky Pearsall
Riley Patterson‘s second stint in Jacksonville has come to an end. After getting a seven-game look with the Lions in 2021, Patterson won the Jaguars full-time kicking gig in 2022. He proceeded to convert 30 of his 35 field goal attempts that season, plus another three-for-three showing in the postseason (including a 41-yard game-winner against the Chargers).
He was replaced in Jacksonville by Brandon McManus last offseason, leading to him spending the majority of the 2023 campaign back in Detroit. In addition to his two-game stint with the Browns to end last season, Patterson ended 2023 having connected on 16 of his 18 FG tries and 41 of his 44 XP tries. The Jaguars brought him back in February via a reserve/future contract, but the team is already committing to rookie sixth-round pick Cam Little as their full-time kicker.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/24
Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: G Zack Johnson
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Deontay Burnett, WR Kelvin Harmon
Denver Broncos
- Activated from active/PUP list: S Caden Sterns
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Malik Jefferson
- Placed on IR: Michael Badgley (story)
- Placed on active/NFI list: OL Christian Mahogany
- Waived with injury settlement: OL Matt Farniok
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Curtis Bolton
- Waived: QB Gavin Hardison
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Chandler Brewer
- Waived: G Nouri Nouili
New York Jets
- Signed: QB Adrian Martinez, CB Kendall Sheffield
- Waived: Ben Bryant, CB Nehemiah Shelton
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Frank Darby
- Waived: CB Kemon Hall
Martinez had a productive dual-threat career in college, scoring 96 total touchdowns during his time with Nebraska and Kansas State. He joined the Lions as a UDFA last spring, but he did not survive roster cutdowns. Martinez did not see any NFL game action, but he recently boosted his stock in the UFL. The 24-year-old earned league MVP honors while leading the Birmingham Stallions to the championship. Martinez compiled a combined 17:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and led the league with 588 rushing yards.
The top of New York’s depth chart is set with Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor, but rookie Jordan Travis opened training camp on the NFI list as he continues to recover from the leg injury which ended his Florida State career. Martinez’s arrival (and the corresponding departure of Bryant) will allow him to see limited reps for at least a brief period. He could be a practice squad candidate if Travis returns to health in time for the fall, but a strong showing in training camp and/or the preseason could make him an attractive option for other teams.
Jets, DE Haason Reddick Making Progress On Resolution
The Haason Reddick situation has not reflected well on the Jets, who sent the Eagles a conditional third-rounder for a player angling for a new contract. With no new deal in sight, Reddick has stayed away from his new team since being acquired nearly four months ago.
Reddick skipped Jets minicamp and is one of the few NFLers holding out of training camp. The Jets placed the veteran sack artist on their reserve/did not report list this week. A recent report did indicate the Jets offered Reddick an extension while he was still with the Eagles — as Philly had let the disgruntled pass rusher speak with other teams — most of the rumors coming out of New York this offseason pointed to the team wanting to see its trade pickup in action before making any commitment.
Understandably, the latter aim is not sitting well with Reddick, who is going into his age-30 season. The Jets, however, may be making some progress here. Talks between Reddick and the team have seen some positive development this week, per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, who points to a near-future appearance from the former first-round pick. Addressing this report, Robert Saleh noted (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini), “That’s good to hear.”
It would make sense if Reddick showed up soon, as he is racking up $50K-per-day fines for not being at Jets camp. The Jets have been linked to adding sweeteners to Reddick’s current contract, a $15MM-per-year deal that expires after the 2024 season, but it is logical the nomadic edge defender is targeting something bigger. Reddick, whose career arc included multiple seasons miscast as a Cardinals off-ball linebacker, has registered 50.5 sacks since 2020 — fourth-most this decade — and has seen less productive pass rushers lap him on the market.
Reddick’s AAV now ranks 19th among edge rushers, and he is running out of time to score a market-value contract. Of the 18 players ahead of him on that list, only one — Von Miller — secured his deal after age 30. Reddick will turn 30 in September.
While the Jets’ hope of Reddick playing a bigger role than Bryce Huff did last year gives the former some ammo, the team still holds the cards here. The Jets have not ruled out an extension, but for now, the former Cardinals, Panthers and Eagles rusher may be ready to report to camp and settle for an incentive-based agreement in hopes of a better deal coming down the line.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/24
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on active/PUP list: FB Robert Burns
Carolina Panthers
- Waived/injured: DT Popo Aumavae
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on active/PUP list: CB Trevon Diggs
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT David Bada
- Placed on reserve/PUP list: OL Matt Farniok
Houston Texans
- Cut via injury settlement: WR Jared Wayne
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Jabril Cox, CB Jacobi Francis
- Waived: LB K.J. Cloyd
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/did not report list: DE Haason Reddick
- Signed: QB Ben Bryant
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Griffin Hebert
- Waived from active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Malik Turner
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Ty Scott
- Waived: CB Andrew Whitaker
- Activated from active/NFI list: LB Easton Gibbs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Sal Cannella
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Corey Levin, OLB Shane Ray
- Waived: RB Dillon Johnson
Via this transaction, the Jets are temporarily moving Reddick off their 90-man roster. Unlike placements on the active/PUP or active/NFI lists that are commonplace in July, Reddick is technically out of the mix for the Jets until his holdout ends. The trade acquisition has not shown up at any point since being traded to the Jets in March.
Diggs suffered a torn ACL during a late-September practice. He is not expected to be sidelined past Week 1, but the Cowboys will not have him at practice for a bit.
Levin has been a Titans backup for most of the past six seasons, playing regularly on special teams and starting four games during his career. An interior O-lineman, Levin played the past two seasons on one-year Tennessee deals. This marks yet another chance for Ray, a Broncos first-rounder back in 2015. This agreement comes after Ray worked out for the Titans in May. Ray, 31, spent time with the Bills during the 2023 offseason but has not played in a regular-season NFL game since 2018.
QB Notes: Tua, Rodgers, Daniels, Steelers
Tua Tagovailoa is not holding in, separating the Dolphins‘ top negotiation from multiple others around the NFL. This includes Jordan Love‘s Packers arrangement, which has become a hold-in situation. Despite Tagovailoa having a longer track record than Love, the fifth-year passer went through Dolphins workouts Wednesday. This did come with a notable exception. Tagovailoa took only two reps (both handoffs) in Dolphins team drills to open camp, per ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa’s camp workload — absent an extension — would compare to OTAs; the lefty did not go through team drills then or during minicamp. We heard Monday this would likely be the route Tagovailoa takes.
The Dolphins have been negotiating with Tua for months, and while some optimism has emerged, Miami’s QB1 has turned down at least one offer and may have seen the team dig in on a price south of Trevor Lawrence‘s $55MM-per-year deal. Lawrence receiving $142MM may also be much higher than the Dolphins want to go. McDaniel said (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson) both sides are “relentlessly” working on this agreement. The parties still have time to hammer out a deal before the season, but the longer this goes, the closer Tua comes to carrying a lofty franchise tag number (upwards of $40MM) on Miami’s 2025 cap sheet.
Here is the latest QB news coming out of training camp:
- Aaron Rodgers confirmed a trip to Egypt indeed led to his missing minicamp and confirmed the Jets fined him for the unexcused absences. Rodgers has been criticized for a lack of leadership by skipping the offseason’s only mandatory workout, but he said his relationship with Robert Saleh has been unaffected. “I’m an adult; I knew what I was getting into,” Rodgers said, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. “I knew the fine that was coming and also knew how much I wanted to be in Egypt. I wish there hadn’t been a conflict scheduling-wise, but it was what it was.” Rodgers, who said be based the trip on the Jets’ 2023 offseason schedule, had shown up for OTAs prior to the abrupt — to the public, at least — departure.
- Jayden Daniels does not have Commanders first-string reps to himself just yet; the No. 2 overall pick is splitting them with free agency addition Marcus Mariota, the Washington Post’s Sam Fortier notes. While Dan Quinn is labeling this a QB competition, Fortier cautions that Daniels is all but assured of the starting job. This follows a report that pointed to the Commanders indeed feeling no real reason to hold back the 2023 Heisman winner by giving Mariota bridge work.
- Although the Daniels-Mariota split may deprive the highly touted rookie from early reps, Washington is holding an actual battle for the No. 3 spot. The team is pitting rookie UDFA Sam Hartman against veteran Jeff Driskel, Fortier adds. The former Notre Dame starter, who has a safety net via the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions’ recent draft choice, played behind Driskel to start camp. It is not yet clear if the Commanders plan to keep three QBs, but the winner of this battle would stand to at least be the team’s emergency option in the event only two are rostered.
- Prior to the USFL and XFL merging, Ben DiNucci played in the former league’s second season and spent last year as the Broncos’ third-stringer. The recent Russell Wilson teammate worked out for the 13-year vet’s new team this week, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes the Steelers brought in the veteran. Pittsburgh has Kyle Allen in place behind Wilson and Justin Fields presently.
Jets Offered Haason Reddick Extension Before Eagles Trade
The Haason Reddick situation remains a front-burner Jets issue, as the offseason trade acquisition was a no-show to start training camp. While the Jets are open to adjusting Reddick’s deal via sweeteners, they are not believed to prefer a long-term extension before the accomplished edge rusher plays a down this season.
Though, the Jets are now believed to have offered some type of extension months ago. Receiving permission to speak with Reddick’s camp prior to the trade, the Jets made an offer Reddick declined, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports. While the proposal provided Reddick a raise from the $14.25MM salary he is due this year, the former first-round pick’s asking price is currently out of the Jets’ range.
Reddick is seeking a deal in $25-$28MM-per-year territory, Hughes adds. This would place Reddick in the top six among edge rusher AAVs, a sector his sack production would support. The Jets had expected the eighth-year vet to report for their offseason program and training camp. After incurring just more than $100K in fines for skipping minicamp, Reddick has continued to stay away from his new team. This has created an impasse, as the New York Post’s Brian Costello indicates the Jets are not interested in negotiating with Reddick until he reports.
The Jets traded a conditional 2026 third-round pick for Reddick in late March, and while the team has a regular role planned for him (as opposed to the situational role Bryce Huff held), GM Joe Douglas has been hesitant to authorize an extension. Reddick’s age (30 in September) has come up as one of the reasons the team is holding off here, but sending a Day 2 pick for a player — conditional or not — and then seeing that player hold out obviously presents a bad look.
As the Jets are eyeing short-term solutions with Reddick, Costello adds the former Cardinals, Panthers and Eagles edge is more focused on a long-term play. Reddick outplayed his three-year, $45MM deal in Philly, leading the 2022 NFC champions’ charge at the 1984 Bears’ long-running sack record. The Eagles fell just short of that mark but still produced a staggering 70 sacks. Reddick’s 50.5 sacks during the 2020s rank fourth in the NFL, yet his contract has fallen to 19th among edge rushers. Huff secured better terms than Reddick’s this offseason, inking a three-year, $51.1MM Eagles deal. The Jets’ reluctance to pay Huff has certainly affected their developing Reddick situation.
The team is not opposed to doing a deal in-season, per Hughes, and ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini indicates an extension coming to pass later in the season is still in play. The team wants to gauge the fit first. The Jets extended John Franklin-Myers in September 2021, though Reddick is a much higher-profile player compared to the former waiver claim. Due to Reddick coming aboard, the Jets traded Franklin-Myers to the Broncos in what amounted to a salary dump.
Reddick is also running short on time to cash in, as less productive (but younger) edge rushers Brian Burns and Josh Allen nearly doubled his AAV on extensions this offseason. Finally, Hughes notes the Jets have informed Reddick they have no plans to trade or release him. As such, this drama persists. The team must fine Reddick approximately $50K per day for his absences, as he is attached to a veteran contract.
Post-Franklin-Myers, the Jets have recent first-rounders Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald in the fold. Reddick’s holdout opens the door for McDonald, but the team obviously wants the veteran to anchor its defensive end contingent. For now, the sides are not in alignment on how to make that happen.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived (with injury settlement): OL Carter O’Donnell
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OT Julién Davenport
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from PUP: WR Jalen Coker, Chau Smith-Wade
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on NFI: OT Trent Brown
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: QB Jacob Eason
- Waived: LS Peter Bowden
Houston Texans
- Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
- Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on PUP: LB Darien Butler, OL Jacob Johanning, OL Jackson Powers-Johnson, WR Jalen Guyton, T Kolton Miller
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on PUP: TE Tyler Higbee
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Kyric McGowan
- Placed on PUP: WR Odell Beckham, LB David Long
- Placed on IR: WR Tahj Washington
- Activated off NFI: RB Salvon Ahmed, S Mark Perry
New England Patriots
- Placed on PUP: C Jake Andrews, WR Kendrick Bourne, G Cole Strange, LB Sione Takitaki
- Placed on NFI: RB Antonio Gibson
New York Giants
- Placed on PUP: T Evan Neal▪️, CB Aaron Robinson
- Placed on NFI: DB Jalen Mills, DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Nehemiah Shelton
- Activated from PUP: WR Tyler Harrell, DT Leonard Taylor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on NFI: DB Cooper DeJean
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on PUP: LB Dre Greenlaw, S Talanoa Hufanga
- Placed on NFI: WR Ricky Pearsall
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Marcus Simms, OT Jalen Sundell
- Activated from PUP: LB Jerome Baker, CB Lance Boykin, LB Tyrel Dodson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on NFI: QB Zack Annexstad, TE Tanner Taula
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on PUP: WR Colton Dowell, OT Nicholas Petit-Frere
Haason Reddick Absent From Jets’ Training Camp
After skipping spring workouts in search of a new deal, Haason Reddick faced the prospect of holding out from training camp. The Jets edge rusher has indeed elected not to attend the first day of camp, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Reddick had a highly productive Eagles tenure, collecting 27 sacks in 34 games. That drove his desire for an extension, something Philadelphia was not willing to authorize. The two-time Pro Bowler was ultimately traded to the Jets, a team which lost Bryce Huff in free agency. The latter inked multi-year deal in Philadelphia, but Reddick projects as a starting-caliber replacement for at least the 2024 season.
The pending free agent continues to seek an extension, though the Jets are not particularly interested in working out such an agreement. As things stand, Reddick is due to collect $15MM this year while carrying a cap hit of equal value. While he seeks a raise, New York’s front office intends to add incentives to his 2024 compensation in lieu of tacking on additional years to his pact.
Reddick was absent from voluntary OTAs, but the team expected him to attend mandatory minicamp. That did not end up being the case, however, leading to speculation about his intentions at the start of training camp. Despite optimism being expressed by the Jets that a resolution would have been worked out by now, today’s developments demonstrate further progress at the negotiating table will be required.
Players on non-rookie deals who elect to hold out are subject to $50K in mandatory daily fines. For that reason, it has become increasingly common for players to ‘hold-in’ by attending camp but not participating in practices. Reddick has chosen to incur financial penalties as he continues to push for an extension or at least a top-up to cover the 2024 campaign.
In the meantime, New York will move forward with an edge contingent led by the likes of Jermaine Johnson, Will McDonald and Solomon Thomas. Especially considering the Huff departure and the draft-day trade of John Franklin-Myers to the Broncos, Reddick is positioned to handle a substantial workload during his debut Jets campaign. When he will first take part in team practices with his new squad remains to be seen.
