Haason Reddick's long-awaited arrival compares to Puka Nacua's surprise TNF return, ex-Chargers player claims
Haason Reddick and Puka Nacua don't much much in common. Nacua has a lean frame, while Reddick has a thicker build. Both players work in different roles on their respective football teams, but sometimes unlike things can be alike in certain ways of thinking.
Speaking on a Nov. 1 edition of "Good Morning Football," NFL analyst Manti Te'o compared Reddick's sudden arrival to that of Nacua last week.
Manti Te’o: [00:00:44] "However, he was a guy that was contributing a lot like Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp last week. How their presence on the football field just allowed the run game with Kyren Williams to open up more touchdowns going to their teammates," he said.
"So that tension that you have to put on one guy like Haason Reddick allowed them to have 21 pressures last night, eight sacks," he added. [00:01:06][21.9] GMFB
Reddick had been in a contract standoff with the New York Jets all season long. After weeks of negotiations, the Jets and Reddick found a solution, with his Jets debut coming against the Houston Texans.
Ahead of Week 8, Puka Nacua had been recovering from injury for most of the season and was expected to have at least another game to recover. Instead, Nacua suddenly was taken off the injury report and thrown into the Vikings-Rams contest as Los Angeles fought off a slide to 2-5.
Haason Reddick's reworked deal leaves unclear future
The pass-rusher is back on the gridiron, but he isn't guaranteed long. Haason Reddick's reworked deal still concludes in 2025, per Spotrac. While the pass rusher did secure a deal that will let him earn back his fines accrued by skipping practices and games, he didn't get the breakout deal that all NFL players are looking for in their contract year.
Of course, he still has at least about 10 weeks to prove to the New York Jets or another team that he's worth the money and the time commitment. However, at age 30, he's over the typical earnings peak of all non-quarterback players in the NFL.
Can Reddick secure one last breakout contract before walking away from the game, or has he arrived at the year-by-year stage of his NFL career?
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Good Morning Football" and H/T Sportskeeda.