Woody Johnson implores Haason Reddick to end holdout, fresh off firing Robert Saleh

On Tuesday, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh two days after the 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The 77-year-old reportedly parted ways with the coach and promoted defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to take over in an interim capacity.

While Johnson showed Saleh the exit door, he's keen on Haason Reddick walking through it into the Jets' facility. During a conference call with reporters, the Jets owner pleaded with the pass rusher to end his holdout which began when he was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason. Johnson said:

"[Haason Reddick] will find a very welcome locker room and he'll be able to fit right in with the Jets... But he's got to get here first. So, Haason, get in your car, drive down I-95 and come to the New York Jets. We can meet you and give you an escort right in the building and you will fit right in and you're going to love it here." - Johnson to reporters [Via ESPN]

While the 77-year-old made it clear that he wants Reddick to join the team, the edge rusher likely won't until they meet his demands.

Why is Haason Reddick holding out?

The Jets traded for Haason Reddick in March to bolster their already stellar defense and unveiled the linebacker in an introductory press conference. The 30-year-old expected the team to offer him a new contract before he suited up to play for them.

However, after nearly two weeks of discussions between Reddick's representatives and the Jets front office, they couldn't agree on terms and the veteran has since been holding out.

Reddick is in the final year of the three-year, $45 million deal he signed with the Eagles in the 2022 offseason. He has already lost out on $4.2 million in salary for missing five games of the season. The linebacker is seemingly open to sitting out the entire year and giving up a shade above $21 million rather than suiting up and risking an injury.

Johnson's plea will likely do little to persuade Reddick to return to the team unless it also comes with a new contract. It remains to be seen whether the Jets can lure him back to the team.