Haason Reddick finally made his first Pro Bowl.
And it’s rather fitting that it happened after his return to Philadelphia.
Because it wasn’t all that long ago that Reddick was considered to be a first-round miss in Arizona. But ever since he moved to the edge, he’s been one of the leading pass rushers in the NFL. And now he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves in his sixth professional season.
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Reddick, 28, was one of eight Eagles named to the Pro Bowl on Wednesday night. He’s one of just two players on the No. 2 defense in the NFL, along with cornerback Darius Slay, who has now been a Pro Bowler five times and has now gone back-to-back. (The six players on offense are Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, A.J. Brown, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Landon Dickerson.)
This year, the NFL has ditched the traditional Pro Bowl game and is opting for the Pro Bowl Games, which will feature skills competitions and a flag football game. The event is scheduled for Feb. 5, so the Eagles hope none of their players will be attending. They might be preparing to play in a Super Bowl the following week.
Reddick ranks fifth in the NFL with 12 sacks and is third in the NFC behind the top two Defensive Player of the Year candidates in Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons.
It’s been a long road for the Camden, New Jersey, native and Temple product. Reddick was a first-round pick in 2017 but the Cardinals misused him for the first few years of his career, deciding to play him at the off-ball linebacker spot.
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But when Reddick finally asked to be moved to edge rusher in 2020, his career took off. He had 12 1/2 sacks with the Cardinals in 2020, 11 last year with the Panthers and now has 12 with the Eagles in 2022. He’s the first player in NFL history to have double digit sacks three years in a row for three different teams.
What is the lesson in Reddick’s story?
“Just never give up,” Reddick said in October. “It’s so Philadelphia when you think about it, right? Underdog story, being overlooked, having grit, continuing to push through, all the ups and downs.”
It has taken a long time for Reddick to get the recognition he deserves in the NFL. Perhaps that’s because of his smaller frame (6-1, 240); he’s a unique player. But the production speaks for itself. In addition to his 12 sacks this season, Reddick also has 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 3 pass breakups, 39 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits. He’s been piling up the stats this season.
Reddick is the first Eagles edge player to have 10+ sacks since Connor Barwin had 14 1/2 back in 2014.
And he’s coming off one of his best games of the season. On Sunday in Chicago, Reddick has 2 sacks, 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU, 1 FF and 2 QB hits. It’s his second two-sacks game of the season. But Reddick has had at least half a sack in 10 of 14 games this season. He’s been incredibly consistent.
Reddick has also been quite a bargain.
The Eagles signed Reddick to a three-year, $45 million contract when free agency opened in March. That $15 APY ranks Reddick 17th in the NFL among edge players, according to OverTheCap. The only edge player who has a higher APY and more sacks is Myles Garrett.
The Eagles knew how big of an addition Reddick was from the moment he got to training camp.
“We use things that he’s done,” his position coach Jeremiah Washburn said this summer. “We studied him quite a bit, what they did with him in Arizona with Vance Joseph and what Phil Snow did with him in Carolina last year and how he fits into what we’ll do.
“He’s a man of many hats. He’s very valuable with that. He’s been more than we thought. We thought very highly of his obviously. Just his attitude, his professionalism, his energy, much less his physical skillset. It’s been a good addition for us.”
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