Haason Reddick had an eventful 2024, from his contract demands in Philadelphia to a trade to New York to a holdout to relenting to a subpar on-field performance. The head-scratching season could have scared teams away in free agency. Not Jason Licht and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs inked Reddick to a one-year, $14 million contract, with $12 million fully guaranteed. Licht said Monday from the NFL's Annual League Meeting that he has no concerns about Reddick after last year.
"Not from a character standpoint. Every situation is different, there's a story behind everything," the GM said, via the team's official transcript. "I think it's behind him, and in some ways, I was kind of excited. It gave us an opportunity to potentially get great value. I'm rooting for him to have a great year."
The Bucs could be getting a bargain if Reddick bounces back. In 10 games last year in New York following his holdout, the pass rusher had one sack. He had at least 11 QB takedowns in the previous four seasons and made two Pro Bowls. Usually, a double-digit sack artist, even at 30 years old, would make more than $14 million on the open market.
Reddick admitted after signing with the Bucs that 2024 was a "very bizarre" year, believing a "fresh start" in Tampa would get him back on track.
Licht is happy to add him to a pass rush crew that needed help. Getting a motivated veteran is an added bonus.
"He's a really unique player. He's got a lot to prove; he's very hungry," Licht said. "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 -- for Yaya (Diaby), for Calijah (Kancey), for Vita (Vea), (Chris) Braswell. All those guys will benefit from him."
Given that it's a one-year deal, Reddick's presence shouldn't stop Licht from selecting another edge rusher high in the draft later this month. It gives the club more options but doesn't preclude anything.
"I don't know if it changes the mindset there," Licht said of the draft. "We've got a few players -- a handful of players like we do every year -- that we think could be there at [pick number] 19, including edge rushers. I think we're going to stick to, what's the best player? And if it happens to be an edge rusher, it's an edge rusher."
