The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ biggest addition this offseason in free agency has been Haason Reddick, the veteran edge rusher who made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023 and had at least 11.0 sacks in four consecutive seasons.
However, 2024 was not a good year for him. After the Philadelphia Eagles traded him to the New York Jets, he held out and asked the Jets to trade him. He ended up missing the first six games of the season before both sides agreed to a reworked contract, but he wasn’t exactly himself on the field the rest of the fall.
Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht sounds confident that Reddick will bounce back and return to form this coming season.
“He’s a really unique player,” Licht said. “He’s got a lot to prove; he’s very hungry. I really enjoyed the conversations we’ve had since we signed him. He’s going to play to try to get another bite at the apple, which I like.”
Licht also feels the 30-year-old Reddick will make a positive impact besides just performing well on the field.
“He’s really excited to help the young guys,” Licht continued. “He’s talked about that — being a leader and all those things. So that’s always going to help. I’m just excited what he can do for all the young guys.”
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The New Jersey native sounds like he’s ready to put last season behind him.
“[The] only thing on my mind is moving forward, looking to the future and looking forward to what I can bring to the team here,” Reddick said last month. “… I know that everybody is worried about last year, but last year is last year, right? I’m here now. Different mindset, different space, just ready to put the past behind me and continue to move forward, and what better place to do it than here?”
In Tampa Bay, he will be reunited with Larry Foote, the team’s defensive run game coordinator/outside linebackers coach who was a linebackers coach with the Arizona Cardinals when Reddick started his career in Arizona.
Reddick only mustered 1.0 sacks, three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and 14 total tackles (nine solo) in 2024, all of which were career lows. Since he signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay, he also should have some external motivation as far as earning a generous payday next offseason.
While Tampa Bay was one of the NFL’s most productive offensive teams in 2024, it was certifiably mediocre on defense and gave up more passing yards than all but three teams.
Improving on defense will be the key to the team going from one that can win the weak NFC South and make the playoffs to one that could perhaps challenge for a spot in the Super Bowl. That all starts with getting more pressure up front on opposing quarterbacks, which is something Reddick specializes in.
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