Haason Reddick is set to make his debut for the New York Jets. The talented edge rusher will play on Sunday against the New England Patriots, as announced by interim coach Jeff Ulbrich on Friday.
Reddick ended his contract holdout when he reported to the team on Monday and was taken off the reserve/did not report list. He practiced throughout the week, and the Jets were pleased with his performance.
“Had a good week of work with us,” Ulbrich said. “He’s just such an experienced guy. He’s been in so many systems, so picking up ours wasn’t super difficult for him. He really put in the extra time to learn it, and physically, he looked good out there.
“So, we’re excited about what he’ll contribute to our rush group.”
Ulbrich mentioned that Reddick will not have a specific limit on how many plays he can be in for his first game.
“He feels like he’s in good shape,” Ulbrich said. “And although he hasn’t been doing a whole lot of football stuff in a football capacity, he’s been doing a lot of position-specific work with pass rush specialists and has been conditioning and lifting, obviously. So we’ll just kind of play it by ear.
“I think a big part of that’s just going to kind of observe him on game day and see what he’s capable of doing.”
The Jets will add him to the active roster and make another move before the game in New England.
This is the second consecutive game where a notable player will debut with the Jets, following wide receiver Davante Adams, who played last Sunday night just five days after joining the team from Las Vegas.
Haason Reddick, 30 years old, adds to a pass rush that ranks sixth in the NFL with 20 sacks. This includes a career-high of eight sacks by second-year edge rusher Will McDonald.
“As we all know, we’re at our best when we rush four,” Ulbrich said. “And he’ll allow us to do that.”
Reddick has achieved double-digit sack totals for the last four seasons, but one criticism of the two-time Pro Bowl player is that he hasn’t been as strong against the run because he focused mainly on getting to the quarterback.
“Hassan, I’m going to give him a clean slate being here,” Ulbrich said. “And this week, he’s done a tremendous job of playing the run, setting edges, arm over and back, getting to the ball.
So that’s what I’m judging him based on his time here. And he’s done an excellent job so far, definitely in practice.”
Defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton mentioned on Thursday that Reddick was “very businesslike” in learning the Jets’ defensive terminology, and the team increased his practice snaps as the week progressed.
“He adds a lot to the pass rush to get to the quarterback,” cornerback Sauce Gardner said. “No matter what it is, find a way to get to the quarterback and being effective in the run game as well. He just offers you a lot of versatility, so I’m looking forward to taking the field with him on Sunday.”
Reddick’s last game was when Philadelphia lost to Tampa Bay in the playoffs on January 15. He requested a trade during the offseason after the Eagles chose not to give him a new contract.
The Jets brought Reddick on board in March, knowing he would play under his current deal while they discussed a new one later. However, he showed up for his physical on April 1 and didn’t return to the facility until this week.
He was placed on the reserve/did not report list on July 25, which was the second day of training camp, and he asked to be traded on August 12.
Reddick recently changed agents, and his new representatives, Drew Rosenhaus, and Ryan Matha, talked to the Jets about letting Reddick pursue a trade, which New York allowed. Then, the two sides reached an agreement last Sunday on a modified contract for this season, aiming to work on a long-term deal.
Reddick chose not to speak to reporters this week, saying through the team’s public relations staff that he would talk after the game on Sunday.
“Hate me now, love me later,” Reddick posted on his Instagram page Thursday night. “I’m still going be me.”
