The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hoping they hit a home run in free agency, and their biggest free agent signing is looking to prove them right with a big campaign in 2025.
Edge rusher Haason Reddick has had an up-and-down go of things. He had 11 or more sacks from 2020-23, but a year in New York with the Jets where he only played after an extended holdout period saw him net just one sack. That holdout didn’t get him the big deal that he wanted, so now, he’s looking to prove to the Buccaneers on a one-year, $14 million deal that he can still be a big producer at the NFL level.
Reddick didn’t show up to OTAs, but he’s still putting in work — and some national pundits think he might be ready to have a big impact. CBS Sports writer Garrett Podell one player from each team that could fly under the radar in the NFC, and he pinned Reddick as that potential hidden gem in Tampa Bay. Here’s what he had to say about the Bucs’ new edge rusher:
“Edge rusher Haason Reddick was one of the NFL’s top sack artists from 2020 to 2023: his 50.5 sacks were the fourth-most in the league in that span. However, a contract dispute with the Philadelphia Eagles that turned into a trade to the New York Jets last season derailed Reddick’s production. His holdout led to him not making his Jets debut in 2024 until Week 8, and he only registered one sack in New York’s final 10 games of the season. That chipped away at the 30-year-old’s ability to command a multiyear deal in free agency this offseason, which is why he settled for a one-year, $14 million deal with $12 million fully guaranteed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There’s certainly a chance Reddick could return to stardom with a regular offseason in Tampa Bay this year. “
Reddick will (hopefully) show up to mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and get his first feel for head coach Todd Bowles’ defense, and when the beginning of the season comes around, Tampa Bay will hope to see him get to the quarterback like he did in his prime.