Jason Licht Confident Haason Reddick Will Regain Elite Form with Buccaneers

In a swift move, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured edge rusher Haason Reddick just 15 minutes into free agency, inking him to a one-year, $14 million contract. According to General Manager Jason Licht, who shared his insights on WDAE radio, the Buccaneers view Reddick’s 2024 performance as an anomaly and are confident he can rebound to elite form.

“He’s such a freak, freak athlete and he really knows how to get after the quarterback,” Licht said, via JoeBucsFan.com.

“And, you know, [50] sacks in four years — just one year removed from that string that he had where he was an elite guy — and during the [2024] season, it was just kind of a bizarre year for him as he explained with the Jets. But when we knew that he was going to be a free agent, and we had talked several times internally that if he hits free agency or when he does, that this guy might be something that’s worth, you know, betting on. Because he’s going to be very hungry to prove to everybody that he is still the same player that he was before last year.”

According to General Manager Jason Licht, Haason Reddick was the top priority for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the edge rusher position. The swift completion of the deal suggests that, despite likely interest from other teams during the pre-free agency tampering period, Reddick didn’t receive a substantial, long-term offer elsewhere. However, it’s possible that Tampa Bay may consider extending Reddick’s contract beyond the initial one-year agreement.

“He’s very, very determined to prove to everybody that last year was a fluke, that he’s still the same player.” Licht said. “He’s a great guy, he’s going to be a great fit. He can already sense what the locker room is like. And he’s just one of those guys that you like to be direct with. . . . He likes to hear the truth. And the truth was, ‘Hey, you’re going to love your team, you’re going to love your teammates, and we have a history here of rewarding people after they come in on these one-year, prove-it deals. And there’s a chance that we can do that here with you.’”

Haason Reddick, 30, was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Since then, he has had stints with several teams, including the Carolina Panthers (one season), Philadelphia Eagles (two seasons), and New York Jets (briefly), before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.