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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Haason Reddick is gearing up for hunting season.
The Bucs signed Reddick to a $14 million free-agent contract in an effort to spruce up an inconsistent pass rush. Despite Tampa Bay’s torrid start, opposing passers have yet to feel the heat, prompting Todd Bowles to blitz on 34 percent of his defensive snaps, the fourth-highest rate in the league.
Haason Reddick talks to Ira.
Reddick has been tasked with several roles through five weeks. Besides coming off the left edge, he has dropped into coverage on a regular basis. When he loops inside instead of taking an outside rush, he has been stymied time and again.
“I’m doing a bunch of different things,” Reddick told me this week. “The main thing is to try and get to a Super Bowl, so I’m just doing what’s asked of me. I’m a little low in sacks and I’m cognizant of that, but there’s a lot of football left.”
Reddick turned 31 last month and he’s looking to cash in as a free agent after the season. From 2020-23, he averaged almost 13 sacks per year, but his production the past two seasons won’t wow many suitors.
Reddick posted only one sack in 10 games with the Jets in 2024 after a contract dispute. The Bucs were hoping that was an outlier season, but Reddick has been limited to one sack and three QB hits through five weeks.
“The thing about it is not to get down,” he said. “The ball has been coming out quickly, but I have to maximize my opportunities. When I’ve been able to get there, I’ve been coming up short a little bit. Still, I’m not discouraged at all.”
Tampa Bay’s 4-1 start has eased some pressure off Reddick. He’s looking to hound an array of quarterbacks into mistakes the rest of the way, beginning with Sunday’s home matchup against the 49ers.
The Bucs have only 10 sacks as a team and opposing quarterbacks have compiled a passer rating of 105.0, the sixth-highest mark in the league. Sam Darnold had ample time to complete 28 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday’s shootout at Seattle.
Bowles is hoping to exert more pressure without blitzing to help a young secondary that is now dealing with injuries at cornerback. If the pass rush in general — and Reddick in particular — fails to improve in the next month, Jason Licht and the Glazers will undoubtedly have some interesting conversations about the potential of adding a proven QB hunter before the trade deadline.
Reddick is well aware of his meager numbers. He’d be a lot more antsy if the Bucs didn’t share the league’s top record at this point.
“I’m very proud what this team has accomplished so far,” Reddick said. “There have been a lot of tough wins, but at the end of the day, getting the ‘W’ is all that matters. It’s been a terrific start to the season. We haven’t blown anybody out, but at the end of the day, we’ve been the better team. Our job is to fix some of the little stuff that we can improve on. We’re not where we want to be — but we’re trending in that direction.”