Haason Reddick signed a three-year deal with Philadelphia back in March, a move expected to bolster the Eagles pass rush. The Camden, New Jersey-native was drafted to the Arizona Cardinals in 2017 before signing with the Carolina Panthers in 2021. During that time, he became one of the leagues most underrated pass rushers, totaling 31 sacks, 11 in 2021. This production prompted Philadelphia to give him $45 million, $30 million of it fully guaranteed.
Reddick’s Early Struggles
Coming into Philadelphia, however, Reddick’s role has changed. As a true EDGE rusher, Reddick has been used as a 3-4 outside linebacker his entire career, basically a stand-up defensive end. This allowed him to always be used as a pass rusher with minimal pass coverage responsibility. However, the Eagles primarily run a 4-3 defense, meaning Reddick is now being used more as a true outside linebacker. This means that he is often lined up in the defensive backfield in a pass coverage role.
I only explain this to say that Reddick’s situation is entirely different in Philadelphia, and through the first two weeks, it showed on the stat sheet. He was dropping back into coverage more often, relying on blitzes to rush the passer. The Eagles were notoriously bad at getting after the quarterback in 2021, and Reddick was supposed to be a solution to that. With that, it was a bit disappointing to see him without a sack through two games.
Much Needed Breakout
However, week three saw Haason Reddick get back to his roots. He was allowed to line up down on the line of scrimmage and rush the passer. And it worked. Reddick finished the game with two sacks and a forced fumble, practically living in the Commander’s backfield. It was the breakout game Eagles fans were hoping for, a game which helped the defense collect nine sacks.
Going forward, expect Reddick to continue to be used as a true edge rusher. The first two weeks showed that he is a capable off-ball linebacker, but that’s not where his talents are maximized. The Eagles’ pass rush looked better than it has in a long time against Washington, and Reddick was a big reason for it. Jonathan Gannon might have found his defensive formula, a formula which will likely be followed for the rest of the season.