The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed veteran free agent pass rusher Haason Reddick to a one-year deal early this offseason, and it brought mixed reviews.
Reddick spent one season with the New York Jets after a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles. He sat out the offseason and the first seven games of the year in protest of a trade he did not want, then proceeded to register just one sack in his next 10 games.
That caused a lot of people to label Reddick as a problem.
That has gone away a bit after he endeared himself to the fanbase during his introductory presser. And The Athletic's Dan Pompei has praised the former Temple defender since he's arrived.
"Haason Reddick had only one sack last season and skipped some offseason workouts, which led to uncertainty about his ability to impact the defense," Pompei wrote. "But Reddick’s presence at minicamp was powerful. Reddick, who had 50 1/2 sacks between 2020 and 2023, hasn’t forgotten how to get to the quarterback, even though he had an awful 2024 with the Jets. At 30, he appears to be in his athletic prime and is at the point in his life when knowledge and ability are intersecting quite nicely.
"Reddick also has been sharing his wisdom with younger Bucs pass rushers, but the way he can help them most is by attracting blockers. The expectation on this team is Reddick will have a productive season and help teammates do the same."
At the time of his signing, Reddick issued a statement to Bucs fans at his press conference, and it went over well.
"I'm excited. I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to be in front of the crowd. If anything, I can't wait to get in front of the Krewe," Reddick said. "I want to hear the cannon go off a lot this year. So, very excited. Hope the fans, hope the Krewe is excited as well. Looking forward to making this a great fit here."
Reddick is here. Reddick wants to be here. And that should be enough.