Getty Former Panther Haason Reddick inked a $45 million deal with his hometown Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022 offseason.
People had questions when Haason Reddick changed his Twitter bio to read “Weapon for the Philadelphia Eagles.” His new profile picture has a discernible Black Panther vibe, if the Wakanda warrior were all dressed up in midnight green.
Reddick is embarking upon his first season as a professional athlete in Philly after growing up in nearby Camden, New Jersey and starring at Temple University. The hybrid pass rusher wants to make his presence felt in Year 1 by creating havoc all over the football field, hence the changes to his social media account.
“That’s how I feel, man. I feel like I’m a weapon of mass destruction when it comes to being on the football field,” Reddick told reporters. “I could do a lot of things differently than a lot of guys. I move differently than a lot of guys. I’m not your typical edge rusher in the way that I rush, so I just feel like I’m different from other guys that play the same position around the league.”
.@Haason7Reddick on his versatility
The 27-year-old identifies as a pass rusher but don’t call him one-dimensional. Reddick lined up all over the formation in 2021: 424 snaps on the left side, 387 on the right, while switching between defensive end and outside linebacker. He rarely lined up in the box but was a willing run stopper when asked to do it. Reddick has 23.5 sacks and 131 tackles (27 for loss) since 2020. But his most important attribute might be his leadership.
“I feel like I want to be a leader,” Reddick said. “To come in and show what I’ve learned throughout my years so far and, after getting paid, somebody that’s here to make plays and help the team win and it’s that simple.”
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Splitting Up the Defensive Meeting Rooms
Reddick dropped a huge clue as to what Jonathan Gannon’s defense might look like in 2022. There has been rumors of the team switching to a 3-4 defense or using a hybrid version of it. On Wednesday, the team’s newest weapon revealed that Gannon has split up the defensive meeting rooms by position. Reddick has been working with senior defensive assistant Jeremiah Washburn in the defensive end/outside linebacker room.
“Right now in the room with Coach Wash,” Reddick said. “He’s coaching the outside linebackers and defensive ends which was a unique situation in itself from my understanding. Last year everybody as far as d-tackles, inside defensive linemen, and d-ends and outside linebackers were all in one room from my understanding, and now it’s split up which is a great thing because now we can focus on more of what we’re supposed to do with the position itself.”
Who y’all think won this?
Reddick called Washburn a “great guy who loves to teach” and showered similar praise on Gannon.
“Great guy, I love him,” Reddick said of Gannon. “Young, youthful, lots of energy, intelligent, and I’m happy to be here in this defense. I feel like I fit here very well. It’s up to me to get out there and use my talents and do what I do.”
Reddick Dishes on Tyler Herro Incident
A stare down from Miami Heat star Tyler Herro rubbed Reddick the wrong way during Game 3 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference semifinals. The Eagles player was sitting courtside, alongside rookies Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis, when the incident occurred and immediately reacted to it on Twitter. But, what really happened?
“He didn’t say nothing to me,” Reddick said with a smile. “He just stared me down which was kind of uncomfortable.”
The bigger part of the story was the bonding experience between Reddick and his rookie teammates. He picked Dean and Davis up that evening and drove them to the playoff game at Wells Fargo Center. It’s part of the veteran leadership role he’s been embracing since arriving in Philly.
“I want to try and do my best in getting them going as soon as possible,” Reddick said. “Get them comfortable and just be any type of asset I can be to them as far as learning so that we can get these guys on the field so they can help the team.”
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Eagles ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’ Boldly Puts NFL on Notice