A key part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ identity over the last few years has been playing with a chip on their shoulder. It’s something the team dealt with in being counted out after Tom Brady’s retirement, and it’s been a siren song for players around the league looking for prove their doubters wrong.
That’s one of the reasons everyone in Tampa is so excited for what Haason Reddick could do this season.
Reddick signed a $14 million deal in free agency after a disastrous stint with the Jets last year. He was a Pro Bowler with the Eagles before getting traded last offseason, and things went south in a hurry for him after that. Reddick held out for a new contract that never came and ended up wasting a majority of his season playing a losing game of chicken with the Jets.
He comes to Tampa with the sort of chip on his shoulder the team loves, and he didn’t waste much time taking some shots his former teams after reporting to minicamp.
For anyone thinking there would be drama between the Bucs and Reddick after he skipped OTAs, it turns out his angst is pointed in a different direction. While speaking with the media this week, Reddick was asked if being able to play every single one of his former teams played a role in his decision to sign with Tampa Bay in March.
He kept it respectful, but didn’t hide how much he’s looking forward to playing teams like the Jets and Eagles this season.
Haason Reddick was asked about playing the Cardinals, Panthers, Eagles and Jets — every team Reddick has ever played for. Peep the reaction 🤣
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) June 11, 2025
“I’d be lying if I said those things didn’t have a part in my decision making,” he said, but added, “Those things are behind me.” pic.twitter.com/OOnNYIIdJG
That’s exactly the fire the Bucs have welcomed with open arms to the locker room, and it’s nice to see Reddick already adding ot the team’s us-against-them mentality.
Now comes the part where he needs to back it up.
It seems there are more ways that works out than it doesn’t. While he had a tremendously disappointing season last year, Reddick has shown in the past that he can be a top edge rusher in the league. He’s just a season removed from being a Pro Bowler and recorded 11 or more sacks every year between 2020 to 2023, which is why the Bucs are gambling on his upside.
This isn’t the first time he’s seemingly taken a shot at the Jets, but the vigor extends beyond his sore feelings about last year. Tampa Bay has a potential Pro Bowler with something to prove at a position of need, which is a recipe for things working out extremely well this season.
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