The Carolina Panthers just helped determine the fate of an old friend.
On Friday, the New York Jets struck an agreement to acquire two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles. The 2017 first-round pick, who will be joining the fourth different organization of his eight-year NFL career, played in Carolina for the 2022 campaign.
Well, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Panthers’ ability to beat the Jets to the punch on another all-star edge defender proved to be the domino that pushed Reddick to New York:
The #Jets, who give a future conditional third-rounder for Reddick, were in on Jadeveon Clowney. Once he went to Carolina, this deal took full focus. https://t.co/6MmKtnUgym
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 29, 2024
The Panthers, of course, just signed Rock Hill, S.C. native Jadeveon Clowney to a two-year, $20 million pact that could be worth up to $24 million. And before Carolina was able to nab the former No. 1 overall pick with the hometown feels and that pretty sweet deal, New York was proving to be some stiff competition for Clowney’s services.
But, at the end of the day, both the Panthers and the Jets were able to add some serious pass-rushing power to their defenses.
