“He’s going to be a great fit” - Buccaneers GM Jason Licht gets candid on signing Haason Reddick in free agency

After one odd season with the New York Jets, edge rusher Haason Reddick has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. He inked a one-year deal worth up to $14 million for this upcoming season.

It was a priority for the Buccaneers to land Reddick, who the team views as a productive pass rusher.

General manager Jason Licht joined WDAE radio on Thursday and raved about Reddick's potential and the team's choice to take a gamble on him.

Licht said:

“He’s such a freak, freak athlete and he really knows how to get after the quarterback."

“And, [50] sacks in four years. ... 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.”

He added:

“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."

After being drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals, Reddick failed to record more than four sacks in his first three seasons. He then recorded four straight 10+ sack seasons from 2020-2023 before an odd lone season with the Jets a year ago.

Haason Reddick ready to move on from "bizarre" year with the New York Jets last season

Haason Reddick during New York Jets v Miami Dolphins - Source: Getty

Last offseason, the New York Jets acquired Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles in return for an eventual third-round pick. Reddick didn't reach an agreement on a contract extension with the Jets upon being traded.

On Aug. 12, Reddick requested a trade from the team and began the season holding out and missing multiple games. After missing the first six games, Reddick made his debut on a reworked deal with the Jets. He played in 10 games, started two, and recorded just 14 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one sack, one pass deflection and one forced fumble.

After joining the third team in the last calendar year, Reddick is ready to move on from last year's season and is ready for a fresh start in Tampa Bay. Reddick said his short stint with the New York Jets was "very bizarre" and "weird."

In his introductory news conference, Reddick said:

"It's a fresh start. I know everybody's worried about last year, but last year was last year. I'm here now, different mindset, different space. I'm just ready to put the past behind me and continue to move forward. And what better place to do that than right here?"

Sometimes, a change of scenery is needed for certain players. Reddick is just two seasons removed from an 11-sack season and has 59 career sacks.