Jets Legend Praises Team for Haason Reddick Trade

Getty Joe Klecko is a big fan of the Haason Reddick trade by the Jets.

The New York Jets made one of the biggest trades of the NFL offseason by acquiring Haason Reddick, and franchise legend Joe Klecko is a big fan of the move.

The Jets acquired Reddick for what appears to be a bargain deal, acquiring the Pro Bowler for a conditional 2026 draft pick. ESPN staff writer Rich Cimini spoke with Klecko about the Jets trade, and he had nothing but positive things to say about Reddick.

“He’s a player-and-a-half,” Klecko said to Cimini. “I don’t care how good they were on defense last year; it wasn’t good enough. Reddick makes them a much better football team. The opposite of a great quarterback is having great guys to put the quarterback down. That’s how the NFL works. This is a big deal. I love it.”

As one of the most iconic pass rushers in Jets franchise history, Klecko’s endorsement of Reddick should have fans excited about what he can bring in 2024.

Joe Klecko’s Iconic Jets Career

As a member of the iconic New York Sack Exchange, Klecko carved out one of the most impressive careers in franchise history.

Klecko was just a sixth-round pick out of Temple in the 1977 NFL Draft. Although it took him some time to get going, Klecko racked up the accolades in the 1980s. His achievements include three All-Pro selections, four Pro Bowl appearances, and Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1981 with a league-leading 20.5 sacks.

The New York Sack Exchange had an impact on the Jets as well as the league as a whole. Not only did the consistently dominate opposing offenses, but their contributions were a big factor in the NFL deciding to have sacks be an officially recorded statistic in 1982.

Klecko’s impact in New York helped him be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Although he had to wait until the 2023 class, Klecko and his teammates will now be forever remembered for their impact in Canton.

Haason Reddick Is a Dominant Pass Rusher

Even if he hasn’t had the impact on the league that Klecko had during the 1980s, Reddick is still a dominant pass rusher in his own right.

Like Klecko, Reddick also came into the league out of Temple as a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. However, the Arizona Cardinals notoriously misused Reddick, having him play off-ball linebacker instead of rushing the passer consistently.

It wasn’t until 2020 when Reddick had his breakout season, racking up 12.5 sacks with a career-high six forced fumbles. He’s now racked up double-digit sacks in four straight seasons, including a 16 sacks in 2022 with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Reddick now has 58 career sacks and 16 forced fumbles through seven NFL seasons. He’s also been named a Pro Bowler in back-to-back seasons along with a second-team All-Pro selection in 2022.

Now, Reddick will have an opportunity to write the next chapter of his career with the Jets. He’s still only 29 years old, and with the amount of talent the Jets have on defense, he could end up being a key contributor that gives them one of the most dominant units in the league in 2024.