Bucs already sound like they’re falling for the Haason Reddick trap

New York Jets fans didn’t get much out of Haason Reddick’s one-year stint in Florham Park, unless you count the frustration and a series of the worst financial decisions you've ever seen an NFL player make.

So when The Athletic’s Dan Pompei reported that Reddick is already turning heads in Tampa Bay, mentoring young players and flashing at minicamp, it was hard not to laugh.

According to Pompei, "Reddick’s presence at minicamp was powerful," and the Bucs expect him to not only have a productive season but to help his teammates do the same.

Jets fans know this story well. The Bucs might think they’re getting a savvy veteran leader, but they might just be falling into the same trap the Jets did last year.

The Jets know this Haason Reddick story all too well

The Jets traded for Reddick in April 2024, parting ways with a conditional 2026 third-round pick to land the veteran pass rusher from Philadelphia. The move was a reactionary one after the team lost breakout star Bryce Huff in free agency, ironically, to the Eagles.

Reddick was seen as a plug-and-play replacement for a win-now piece team with Super Bowl aspirations. But the excitement surrounding his addition quickly turned into resentment.

Reddick skipped voluntary OTAs, then missed mandatory minicamp, training camp, and eventually the first seven games of the regular season while holding out for a new contract.

The Jets never budged. The standoff became so toxic that Reddick’s own agency cut ties with him midseason, an extremely rare move that showed just how off-the-rails the situation had become.

By the time Reddick finally reported, the damage was done. He looked like a shell of his former self, tallying just one sack the entire season despite starting down the stretch. That performance came following four consecutive seasons of double-digit sack totals.

The Jets had clearly seen enough. The two sides quietly moved on in the offseason, and Reddick inked a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $12 million of which is guaranteed.

It’s a decent payday, but a far cry from the multi-year, big-money extension he reportedly wanted. That missed opportunity hangs over everything.

Now pushing 31 years old, Reddick is being talked up as a veteran leader and mentor in Tampa Bay. Maybe a fresh start will help. But from the Jets' perspective, they’ve heard all the same hype before, and they know exactly how the story ended.

The Bucs might see a comeback story in Haason Reddick, but Jets fans know better than to buy the trailer for a movie they’ve already seen.

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