On Contract Front, 49ers (Winning Team) And Jets (Losing Team) Doing Their Things

NFL winning teams do winning team things. And NFL losing team do losing team things. And we are seeing an example of that Tuesday morning as the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets are doing their things.

These two teams will open the regular season against each other next Monday night in Santa Clara.

And in preparation for that matchup, the 49ers late Monday night got close to wrapping up a contract extension for left tackle Trent Williams. Negotiations, unproductive for weeks, are so close that Williams flew from his home in Houston to report to the team on Tuesday.

Williams Contract Extension Getting Done

The agency representing Williams announced a deal is close to being finalized. 

So the holdout Williams undertook all of training camp and the preseason will end on Tuesday.

This means the 49ers in the last week have ended the sometimes contentious contract issues with both Williams and receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk is expected to practice on Tuesday.

And now the Niners seem to have all their expected starters set for that Monday night game against New York.

So the defending NFC champions expect to be at full strength – a winning team doing a winning team thing – regardless of the fact it happened just one week before the game.

Haason Reddick in street clothes, not in a New York Jets uniform.   Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Haason Reddick Holdout Continues

Then we have the New York Jets, a team that hasn't had a winning season since 2015, doing what losing teams do.

The Jets on Tuesday morning are still managing the disaster that is the holdout of former Pro Bowl pass rusher Haason Reddick.

The Jets traded for Reddick and introduced him to their fans in an April 1 press conference. They haven't seen him since. 

He didn't show up for offseason conditioning, OTAs, mandatory minicamp, training camp or the preseason.

Reddick racked up a lot of money in mandatory fines. The total eventually surged to $2.05 million. And he's seemingly about to lose out on game checks because he is under contract for 2024.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 02: Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh of the San Francisco 49ers looks on against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Jets Losing With Reddick Situation

Reddick remains the only contract holdout in the entire NFL.

This is a losing team doing what losing teams do. Why?

Start with the idea that Jets coach Robert Saleh, in his first press conference of the week for the first regular-season game, had to spend time addressing a player not currently with the team.

Move on to the fact Saleh said he has not spoken to Reddick since before the start of training camp, which began in July.

And then, the clincher: New York traded for Reddick despite knowing he was unhappy with his contract and that it was partly the reason the Eagles made him available.

Dec 3, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick (7) reacts after a defensive stop against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Jets Traded Into A Problem

Reddick wanted a new deal and the Jets inherited the problem. They didn't get an extension agreement done before the trade, and neither did they get an agreement he'd play his one remaining season – like the Atlanta Falcons did with Matthew Judon when they acquired him.

Bad. Bad. Bad.

Saleh, of course, cannot say that.

"There's no disappointment," he told reporters on Tuesday. "You've got your roster, you've got the guys who are here and those are the guys you focus on. 

"You know, and hopefully, eventually, he gets here. And when he gets here we're going to embrace him, we're going to love him, we're going to do everything we can to put him in a position to be successful and achieve the goals he's trying to achieve as well as us. 

"But I wouldn't call it a disappointment."

Jan 28, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; (Left to right) San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85), offensive tackle Trent Williams (71), wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19), and linebacker Fred Warner (54) celebrate after winning the NFC Championship football game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Niners Ready, Jets Not So Much

Fair. Not a disappointment. 

It's actually trade malpractice. Or negotiation malpractice.

Someone within the Jets organization obviously didn't foresee they were acquiring a player who was so entrenched he would not report all offseason unless he got a new deal and might not report even for the start of the regular season.

So what was supposed to be a meeting of the 49ers and Jets in which New York's outstanding edge rusher Haason Reddick was going to be matched up against San Francisco's elite left tackle Trent Williams may not happen.

Because winning teams do winning team things. And losing teams do losing team things.