In any other part of society outside of professional sports, refusing to show up to work usually means the end of whatever career you might be pursuing.
In the NFL, it means a pretty massive pay cut. In the case of Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Haason Reddick, that means settling for a 1-year, $14 million contract as he watched former peers sign career-defining contracts — like former Philadelphia Eagles teammate Josh Sweat’s 4-year, $76.4 million free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals.
While Reddick has spent the last 5 years as one of the NFL’s elite edge rushers, his 1-year deal with the Buccaneers still represents a massive gamble. If he’s not back to his old form, it’s hard to see Tampa Bay becoming a legitimate NFC contender.
The Buccaneers are doing all they can to gas Reddick up ahead of the 2025 season.
“He’s a really unique player,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht told ESPN’s Jenna Laine on April 10. “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. He’s really excited to help the young guys. 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.”
Tampa Bay’s pass rush in 2024 was led by a pair of interior defensive linemen with Calijah Kancey (7.5 sacks) and 2-time Pro Bowler Vita Vea (7.0 sacks) were 1-2 on the team in sacks.
Reddick One of NFL’s Top FA Edge Rusher Options
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox had Reddick at No. 28 on his list of the Top 50 NFL free agents in the 2025 cycle.
“Haason Reddick’s forgettable lone season with the Jets did nothing to help his free-agency stock (in 2024),” Knox wrote on February 17. “He held out for a new contract for nearly half of the season, and he only made a marginal impact for the Jets upon his return. However, the 30-year-old has been a high-level producer before. Last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reddick amassed 11 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 35 quarterback pressures. He had four straight seasons of double-digit-sacks before he was traded to New York.”
Ugly Holdout With Jets Hurt Reddick’s Stock
When the Jets traded a 2026 third round pick to the Eagles for Reddick in March 2024, they thought they were going to get a player who could be the difference on a team that thought it was on the verge of earning a playoff spot for the first time in over a decade.
Reddick thought he was getting a new contract and didn’t show up for minicamp and training camp before he requested a trade in August. He missed the first 6 games of the regular season, incurring massive fines until he returned to the Jets for the final 10 games of the regular season. Reddick had his worst year since 2019 with just 14 tackles and 1.0 sacks as the Jets stumbled to a 5-12 record.
It was a bad look for Reddick, who was due to make almost $16 million in 2024 in the final season of the 3-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Eagles in March 2022.
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